


Blackwater Falls

by BeccaAnne814



Series: Marvelous Men of Montana Saga [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Death, F/M, Fluff, Gun Violence, PG-13 sexual situations, Stalking, Violence, cursing, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-03-12 20:34:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 86,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13555092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaAnne814/pseuds/BeccaAnne814
Summary: Peter Quill is the definition of a ladies man, and he never thought he'd ever want to settle down.  Your sudden arrival in town causes quite a stir, and Peter is captivated by the mystery that surrounds you.  You have your reasons for keeping secrets, but once Peter charms you into his bed can he charm his way into your heart as well?  Cowboy!Peter Quill x Reader AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _This is the fourth installment of the Marvelous Men of Montana Saga! If you've already read Wolf Creek, South Hills, and Thousand Oaks, thank you! If not, you'll still be able to follow along with this story, but I highly recommend reading the first three parts before reading this one. Now that Thousand Oaks is over, the Reader from that story needs a name. I've chosen the name Teaghan for Sam's wife. Teaghan means little poet, which I thought was fitting for the best selling novelist, Sophie Devereaux.  If you didn't pick up on the clues I left behind in Thousand Oaks as to the identity of Peter's love interest, I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised! Enjoy!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _This is the fourth installment of the Marvelous Men of Montana Saga!  If you've already read Wolf Creek, South Hills, and Thousand Oaks, thank you!  If not, you'll still be able to follow along with this story, but I highly recommend reading the first three parts before reading this one.  Now that Thousand Oaks is over, the Reader from that story needs a name.  I've chosen the name Teaghan for Sam's wife.  Teaghan means little poet, which I thought was fitting for the best selling novelist, Sophie Devereaux. If you didn't pick up on the clues I left behind in Thousand Oaks as to the identity of Peter's love interest, I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised!  Enjoy!_

"I just don't know, guys," Bucky said as he stared down at his three options. "I need some help here."

"You can't go wrong with a classic," Steve said.

"Nah," Sam disagreed. "You want to go big. Let her know she really means something to you."

"Don't listen to either of them, Bucky," Peter said as he rolled his eyes. "This whole thing is stupid anyway. We all know that Kieran is going to be offered a permanent position at UM, and let's face it, man, you two can't keep doing the long distance thing."

Bucky slapped his friend on the back and gave him a sardonic smile. "Thanks for the pep talk, buddy." Turning to his other friends, he asked, "Why did we bring him with us again?"

Scott leaned over the jewelry counter and twisted one of the engagement rings so that it began to catch the light. "I think what Peter's trying to say, is that maybe you should hold off on buying a ring until you know for sure what Kieran's going to do."

"I get what you're saying, man," Bucky told Scott. "But I really feel like I need to make my intentions crystal clear so she knows I'm serious about making things work between us."

"I think you're making a smart choice, Bucky," Vis said from the other end of the counter with the colored gemstones. 

"Thank you, Vis," Bucky said, continuing to glare at Peter before looking back at Vis. "What are you looking at down there?"

Vis had motioned for a salesman and he was currently looking at three rings himself. "Wanda isn't your typical girl – I'm thinking she'd much prefer a ruby to the traditional diamond."

"Woah, buddy," Scott said, his eyes going wide. "You're proposing to Wanda?"

"I had considered the option, yes," Vis said. "Since we're already at the jewelry store, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to purchase the ring."

Scott visibly paled. "Oh, man. Does that mean I need to propose to Maria?"

"Dude," Peter objected again. "None of you need to propose. I'm not saying your girls aren't great and all, but why does everyone want to get shackled to one woman?"

"Because not all men are as dense as you, Peter," Tony said as he made a dramatic entrance. "Sorry I'm late. What did I miss?"

All of the guys gave each other worried glances before turning toward Vis. Tony's brow furrowed for a bit until he saw Vis holding up a ring to the light to better examine it.

Vis glanced over and gave Tony a big smile. "Tony, perfect timing. I was just about to choose a ring for Wanda, would you care to give me your input?"

"You're proposing to my baby girl?" Tony asked, swallowing hard as he tried to process this new development.

Vis cocked his head to the side for a moment before answering. "I apologize. It is customary to ask a father for his daughter's hand in marriage. Please forgive me for this oversight. Mr. Stark, I would like to ask Wanda to be my wife. May I have your blessing?"

No one said a word as they waited to see how Tony would react. For a moment it seemed as though he was frozen to the spot, but eventually a huge smile spread across his face as he walked over and pulled Vis into a bear-hug.

"I couldn't imagine her with anyone else," Tony told Vis as he began to look at the rings he'd chosen. "You're right to go with a ruby – she'll love the uniqueness of it."

With Tony and Vis occupied at the other end of the store, Bucky brought the others' attention back to his dilemma. "Ok, Tony's helping Vis, now I need you guys to help me out. Which is it? Classic solitaire, three stone, or solitaire with a diamond eternity band?"

"I say go with the eternity band," Sam said. "It sends a message and lets her know that you just didn't pick up any old ring because you were scared she would leave you."

Bucky ran his hand through his hair as he closed his eyes in frustration. "I'm not trying to bribe her into staying here, man."

"I know that," Sam said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But will she?"

"She will once she hears the proposal," Bucky reasoned. "You guys are all set to help me out with that, right?"

"Sure thing, Buck," Steve said, trying to keep Bucky's hopes up despite the naysayers in the group.

"Okay," Bucky said as he chose one of the rings and handed it to the salesman. "I hate to agree with Wilson, but he's right about the eternity band sending a message. I want Kieran to know that I'm a hundred percent all in."

 

"So, where did Steve say he and Sam were going?" Teaghan asked Rowan as they settled themselves on the couch with mugs of hot tea.

"I honestly don't know," Rowan said with a sigh. "I'm just glad he's out of my hair for the afternoon. Ever since we hit the third trimester, he's been following me around with the baby book, warning me about every single thing I do." She held up her mug of tea. "Take this tea for instance. He'd probably tell me that while the antioxidants were good for the baby, the minimal amount of caffeine might be harmful."

Teaghan tried to hold back her laughter, but she couldn't. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. I know it's not funny, but it sounds like something Steve would say. He's just worried about you and the baby."

"I know," Rowan said as she rubbed her extended belly. "I just don't know if I can handle another three months of this. It was cute at first – he'd wake up every morning and compare the size of the baby to a piece of fruit or a nut. Now, he's telling me about genetic defects and how too much iron can cause me to develop gestational diabetes, but too little iron will increase the risk of the baby being born with a low birth weight."

"Oh, wow," Teaghan said as her eyes grew large. "I see what you mean. Have you explained to him that you're a doctor, so you should be able to monitor yourself better than most women?"

Rowan rolled her eyes. "I tried that. You know what he said? 'You're a cardiovascular surgeon, Rowan, not a obstetrician.'"

"Well, he's not wrong," Teaghan answered, trying to play devil's advocate. 

"No, he's not," Rowan agreed, "but my OB seems to think everything is progressing normally, so he shouldn't worry."

"He's a man with a pregnant wife – he's going to worry."

"I guess. Hopefully, once Sarah is here, he'll be too enamored with his baby girl to worry."

Teaghan wrinkled her nose. "I hate to burst your bubble, but once she gets here, he's only going to get worse. That little girl is going to have him wrapped around her little finger the second he lays eyes on her."

A warm smile spread across Rowan's face. "Yeah, she's definitely going to be daddy's girl. Hopefully, she won't take after me too much and end up giving her father a heart attack before he's forty."

"So," Teaghan said as she grabbed her notebook from the coffee table and opened it up. "That brings us back to the reason I'm here. It looks like we left off at the part where Steve pretended that Clint's girlfriend, Laura, was actually his girlfriend to get you to break up with him."

Rowan shook her head as the memory of that day came rushing back. "Are you sure you want to use my and Steve's life story as the plot in one of your books? I mean, it's really not that interesting."

"Are you kidding me?" Teaghan asked. "This is pure romance novel gold. The high school sweethearts who break up in college due to infidelity – only to be revealed later as a misunderstanding orchestrated by the boyfriend who was willing to put the dreams of his girlfriend above his own. She moves on with her life, vowing never to return to her hometown until her father unexpectedly passes away and she's forced to reunite with her former flame. Add in the fact that there's a mysterious saboteur who's out to keep the two protagonists apart – I can't make up a plot this good."

"Well, when you put it that way, it does sound pretty interesting," Rowan conceded. "I guess I just never looked at it from that perspective – I was too busy living through it."

"If this is too hard for you to talk about. . ." Teaghan began.

"No, no," Rowan interrupted. "It's fine. It's actually kind of fun knowing that my life is going to be turned into a romance novel – and it'll be written by Sophie Devereaux."

"I just can't wait to get to the part where the two of you finally get back together."

A blush began to creep up Rowan's neck as she remembered spending the night with Steve in the shack during the blizzard. "I'll admit that it wasn't my finest moment – using him shamelessly and then leaving him the next morning. I'm surprised he ever spoke to me again after that night."

"It was during the blizzard the year before I moved here with Sam, right?"

"Yes," Rowan said, "but we're getting ahead of ourselves. "Don't you want to know about what happened between the break-up and my dad dying?"

"I was actually thinking about that last night," Teaghan said a bit hesitantly. "I thought I might change up the timeline a little bit and begin with you finding out your dad died. That way, the readers won't know why you and Steve aren't together anymore, they'll just know that something horrible happened to drive the two of you apart. I'll then reveal bits and pieces of your history throughout the novel in flashbacks until we get to the big reveal near the end. What do you think?"

Rowan started to answer, but the ringing of the doorbell interrupted her. "Sorry about that. I have no idea who could be at the door."

"You want me to get it?" Teaghan asked as she placed her mug on the coffee table and started to get up.

"No, I've got it," Rowan told her as she gracefully rose from the couch and walked to the door.

Teaghan hoped that she would handle her first pregnancy the way that Rowan had. The other woman was still working everyday and helping out around the ranch as much as Steve would let her. Teaghan wouldn't be surprised if she went into labor mucking a stall behind her husband's back.

Rowan peeked out of the sidelight to try to see who was at the door, but she didn't recognize the woman standing on the front porch. She opened the door and the other woman turned around. The breath caught in Rowan's throat as she finally recognized her.

"Nina?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 1 of this story!  We've finally made it to Peter's part of the Saga!  I'm so excited, but also kind of sad that it's slowly coming to an end.  We're over halfway through, but don't worry, there's still a lot of ground to cover before we say goodbye to the cowboys in Thousand Oaks!  Did you enjoy the guys shopping for engagement rings?  I love the camaraderie between all of the men in this story!  Do you think that Kieran will accept Bucky's proposal and stay in Thousand Oaks with him?  I know the summary for Tony's story mentions his daughter's wedding, but are you sure it's going to be Wanda's and not Nat's?  I hinted around that Sam's wife was super curious about the relationships between Steve and Rowan, and Bucky and Kieran - what do you think about Sophie Devereaux turning their stories into novels? Were you surprised that it was Nina at the door?  I know some of you had voiced your suspicions that she would be Peter's love interest, so kudos to you for weeding through all of those red herrings!  I look forward to your comments!_


	2. Chapter 2

****This part contains some mature themes that might not be suitable for younger readers.****

"Hi," Nina said as her eyes darted down to Rowan's distended abdomen. "Oh, wow, you're pregnant." Looking back up at her old friend in horror, she asked, "You are pregnant right? You didn't just eat a mountain of burritos or something?"

A huge smile spread across Rowan's face as she pulled her Little Sister into a hug. "Yes, I'm pregnant, although a mountain of burritos sounds amazing right about now – these cravings are going to be the death of me." Pulling back to look Nina in the eye, she asked, "What are you doing here? Not that I'm not thrilled to see you, I'm just shocked, is all."

"It's a long story, Rowan," Nina began, but stopped when she saw the other woman in the living room. "I'm sorry, you have company – I should have called instead of just showing up on your doorstep like this."

"No, no, it's fine," Rowan assured her as she guided her into the house. "This is my friend, Teaghan. She's married to Sam Wilson – you remember me talking about Sam, right?"

"Yeah," Nina said as she smiled at Rowan's friend. "I remember you talking about all of your friends from back here. You made this town sound like such a great place to live, but I never expected you to come back here after what happened in college."

"Boy, do we have some catching up to do," Rowan said with a laugh as she began introducing Nina to Teaghan. "Teaghan, this is Nina, my sorority sister from UM."

Nina reached out to shake the other woman's hand. "It's actually YN now. YN YLN."

"What?" Rowan asked, a confused look on her face. "Why did you change your name?"

YN took a deep breath. "It's a long story, and it's actually the reason I'm here."

"I think I'm going to go," Teaghan said, realizing that Rowan and her friend needed some time alone to talk. "You two catch up, and I'll get with you later to work on the book."

"Are you sure?" Rowan asked, worried that it seemed like she was running her off.

"It's fine," Teaghan assured her before turning to YN. "It was a pleasure to meet you, YN."

"You too," YN said. She bit her lip and debated her next words before asking, "You wouldn't mind. . .?"

"Not mentioning who you really are?" Teaghan finished for her. "I don't know what your story is, but rest assured that I won't say a word to anyone – not even Sam."

"Thank you," YN said, relief visibly washing over her.

Teaghan said her goodbyes and Rowan walked her to the door. When she'd closed the door behind her new friend, she turned and looked at her old one. 

"New name, new look," Rowan observed. "I'm guessing you have a pretty good reason for all these changes?"

"I didn't know you were expecting, Rowan," YN said, looking at her friend's belly in sadness. "I'm putting you and your baby in danger just being here. It was a mistake to come."

"Nonsense," Rowan said, grabbing her friend's arm and guiding her to the couches in the living room. "I'm used to danger – trust me – so whatever it is you're going through, I'll be here to help you."

YN looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Thank you. I don't know what I've done to deserve a wonderful friend like you, especially after the way I've treated you all these years."

"What happened?" Rowan asked. "I moved to Seattle to start med school, and it was like you just disappeared."

"I met a guy," YN said, a look of disgust coming over her face. "At first Billy seemed like a dream come true, and things were so great for those first few years."

"But then he changed?" Rowan asked, finally starting to understand.

"No," YN said, shaking her head. "It wasn't that he changed – he was always a manipulative son of a bitch. I was the one to change."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rowan asked, sensing that this was a difficult subject for her friend to discuss.

"Actually, I do," YN said. "I've been in therapy for the last couple months, and Dr. Richards thinks it's good for me to talk about what I went through."

"You said his name was Billy? Did I ever meet him?"

"No," YN said. "That's why I thought it would be safe to seek you out. As far as I know, he doesn't know that much about you."

"Wait. Is he after you now? Have you contacted the police?"

YN held up a hand. "Yes, and yes, but they're no help right now. Let me just start at the beginning so you'll understand what I'm up against."

"Okay," Rowan said, leaning back into the cushions. She had a feeling this might take some time.

"Okay," YN said, taking a deep breath before she began. "I met Billy Russo a few months after I'd started my Master's degree back home in North Carolina. I'd joined the Delta Gamma sorority there so I could make new friends. We went to a frat party and he was there. He was so sweet that night, making sure that I got home safely after the party. He never even tried to take advantage of me when I was drunk, so I thought I'd really lucked out with this guy. We started texting and meeting up for lunch in between classes, and he just seemed so perfect. 

"Looking back on it all now, I can see exactly what he was doing. It started out small – he'd buy me some clothes that weren't really my style, but since he'd bought them, I started wearing them until all I ever wore was what he wanted me to. Then when my classes started to get more time consuming, he convinced me to quit the sorority so my grades didn't suffer.

"I only mentioned you one time that I can recall. It was an offhand remark about losing touch with my Big Sis from my old sorority. I told him you were in med school in Seattle, and I remember him telling me that I shouldn't bother you since you were bound to be too busy studying to talk to me. He made it seem so logical at the time that I didn't realize he was systematically cutting me off from every single person in my life.

"We got married right after I graduated, and he insisted that we move from Charlotte to Florida because he had a job offer there. He'd been in the National Guard during college and one of his former unit commanders had an opening in the security firm he'd started up down there. Billy said that I could teach anywhere, but this job was a once in a lifetime opportunity for him. I realize now that he just wanted to get me away from my parents, and this was a great excuse to get me to go willingly.

"I did get a job once we moved there, but after the first semester, Billy convinced me to quit. He said he wanted to start a family, and he was making enough money to support us both. It sounded so romantic at the time – he wanted to be a good husband and father, but again, he just wanted me to be completely dependent on him."

Rowan had sat in silence up until this point. "What made you finally leave?"

YN took a deep breath before she continued. "I had a really hard time getting pregnant. I went through all of these invasive fertility treatments, but nothing was working. Billy only went with me one time, and he humiliated me to the point that I finally woke up and started to realize what kind of man he was."

"What did he do?" Rowan asked, her eyes large as she tried to imagine what could have humiliated her friend so much that she'd left her husband.

"The doctor was using one of the internal ultrasound wands to check my ovaries, and Billy just lost it. When he saw me grimacing in pain from the procedure, he thought I was enjoying it, and he accused me of making up my infertility issues.  He insinuated that I was having an affair with my doctor, and then he then proceeded to call me a whore.  He told me that I would never be coming back, and he'd just have to make sure I got pregnant the old-fashioned way."

YN paused for a moment as she relived that horrible day in the doctor's office. Rowan was completely disgusted, and shook her head to try to clear her thoughts. "Please tell me you left him that day."

YN gave her a sad look. "I wish I had. He ended up pulling me from the table and dragging me out of the doctor's office. He didn't even let me get dressed, so there I was, desperately holding onto the sheet wrapped around my waist as everyone in the waiting room stared at me in horror. I could tell from the looks on their faces that they'd heard everything he'd said as he’d yelled at the doctor.

"After that, he insisted that we have sex two or three times a day everyday until I got pregnant. At that point, I didn't know what to do. I realized then that I had absolutely no one to talk to about what had happened and I started to slip into depression. After two months, when I still wasn't pregnant, that's when he hit me for the first time."

Rowan's face grew dark and she started to say something, but YN stopped her. "Just let me finish, please." She took another breath and continued. "He changed after that – went back to being super sweet like he'd been back in college, and I convinced myself that he was just stressed out from work and me not being able to get pregnant. When he hit me the second time, that's when I'd had enough. I waited until he'd left for work the next morning and called 911. The police officers took me to the hospital and they took pictures of my face and did a rape kit. I had grown so accustomed to doing whatever he told me to do, that I hadn't seen that what he was doing to me was wrong."

She started to break down, and Rowan moved to the seat next to her and pulled her into her arms. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. I had no idea what you were going through."

"No one did," YN said, "but that's exactly what he wanted. He wanted me to feel like the only person I had to depend on was him."

"Did he go to jail?" Rowan asked.

YN nodded her head. "He did. He was so delusional that he really didn't think that he'd done anything wrong, so he confessed everything when the cops arrested him. I really thought that it was all over at that point. I moved back home, and that's when I changed my name. I wanted to completely start over. Since I'd been a victim of domestic violence, the courts let me seal the records on my name change after the divorce, and I was able to get my teaching license transferred into my new name without any trouble."

"I don't understand, sweetie," Rowan said. "If he's in jail and you were able to change your name and start over, why do you think you're in danger now?"

"Billy's boss, his old unit commander, didn't think he'd done anything wrong, so he hired some hotshot attorney who ended up getting Billy's confession thrown out on a technicality. Apparently Florida is a two-party consent state when it comes to recording conversations. Since it was never mentioned on the tape that Billy knew they were recording his confession, it was deemed inadmissible. Without his confession, it was his word against mine."

"So, he's out of jail?" Rowan asked, finally understanding her friend's concern.

YN nodded. "Yeah, and he'd started calling my parents looking for me. I don't think he knows I changed my name, but I decided that it would be safer to get out of town. I came here because I didn't know where else to go."

Rowan hugged YN again. "I'm glad you came to me. Even if he does remember that you had a friend in Seattle, he'll probably never think to look here for you."

"I know I didn't," YN said as she pulled away to look at her friend. "I went to Seattle first. Dr. Bailey was the one who told me you'd come back home. I'm sorry about your dad, by the way."

"Thank you," Rowan said, "and I'm sorry you made the trip out to Seattle for no reason."

YN gave her a weak smile. "Don't be – I'd never been that far west before. Seattle is a beautiful city."

"Isn't it, though?" Rowan asked, a wistful smile on her face. "There are times I miss it."

"But you're happy here?"

Rowan looked down and began rubbing circles on her belly. "I'm happier now than I've ever been. Steve and I have been married for almost two years now, and this one should be here in about three months."

"You married Steve?" YN asked in disbelief. "After he cheated on you in college?"

"That was a huge misunderstanding," Rowan explained with a laugh. "Laura was his roommate's girlfriend. Steve thought I was skipping class, so he made the whole thing up so I wouldn't end up flunking out of college. There are times when I still want to kill him for being so stupid, but I can understand his reasoning. The main thing is that we were able to sort it all out, and now I'm exactly where I'd always wanted to be."

"And then I come back into your life, and bring my troubles along with me," YN said with a concerned look on her face.

"Troubles are a part of life," Rowan told her as she reached out to grab her hand. "Steve and I have faced our share of those. I had a crazy stalker that tried to kill Steve when I first moved back, and then Sam was almost killed back in the fall when my crazy stalker sent his equally crazy Army buddy to enact revenge on Sam for putting him jail."

"Wait," YN said, holding up a hand in confusion. "Your stalker sent someone to kill Sam? Why didn't he send him to kill Steve? I know that sounds morbid, but wouldn't it make more sense to kill the man you're with instead of your friend?"

"I thought the same thing after it all happened," Rowan said. "I even went to see Grant in prison – don't tell Steve that, though – and he said that going after Steve would've made me unhappy, and he didn't want to see me sad."

"That's some crazy logic right there," YN said in disbelief. "But I still don't see why he was after Sam."

"Oh, I forgot to mention that Sam is the Sheriff of Thousand Oaks now," Rowan clarified. "For some reason, Grant saw Sam as the reason why he was in jail. Like I said, completely crazy."

"It sounds like it," YN agreed. "What is it about us that keeps attracting these men?"

"I don't know," Rowan said with a shrug. "But now that you're here, Steve can keep both of us safe from our crazy stalkers."

"Are you sure he'll want me to stay once he finds out why I'm here?"

"Steve can't say no to a damsel in distress," Rowan assured her. "He'll also be happy to have someone else to keep an eye on me during these last few months of pregnancy."

 

YN thought back on the last couple of days since she'd been in Thousand Oaks. Steve had turned out to be an amazing guy. He'd been more concerned with keeping her safe from her ex-husband than he was of her ex finding her here in Montana. She had been grateful for his hospitality, but after sitting in the house by herself for a week, she'd gotten a little stir crazy.

Rowan was still practicing at her office in town, so YN was left to roam the ranch during the day. Although it was beautiful, and she loved the horses, she knew she needed something to do. Rowan had suggested that she come into town and look for a part-time job. That's how she'd ended up in the Cathedral Café looking at the cork board by the door for any job openings.

Finding one that looked interesting, she pulled it from the board and headed back to the truck Rowan had let her borrow that morning. Plugging the address into her phone, she followed the directions out of town.

Pulling up to the stables, she got out of the truck and looked around. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tall, well-built cowboy walking her way.

"Well, hello, beautiful," he said as he gave her a once over.

YN's guard immediately went up. He may be good looking, but after what she'd just been through, she was steering clear of suave, charming men for the foreseeable future.

"I'm here about the job opening," she said in a clipped tone as she straightened her back. "I understand this ranch helps kids from troubled homes, and you're looking for a qualified individual to help with the children?"

"Yeah," he said. "Are you qualified?"

"I have a Master's in Elementary Education," she told him, "so while I may not have the right qualifications, I do have experience working with children. Can you point me in the direction of the owner?"

"You're looking at him, darling," he said as he held out a hand. "Peter Quill, at your service."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 2 of this story!  This part dealt with some difficult topics that, unfortunately, I'm sure some of you can relate to.  Stories like YN's are all too common in today's times, and I do apologize if I've brought up painful memories for any of you.  Other than Bucky's story, we've dealt with crazy stalkers, and homicidal maniacs, so an abusive ex-husband seemed like the perfect villain for the next story in our Saga.  I like the strength that YN exudes, and I think she'll be just as good for Peter as he will be for her.  He needs a woman that's going to force him to look deeper within himself to find the man he's meant to be, and she needs to be reminded that not all men are horrible.  I think that all of the men in Thousand Oaks will help her in her journey to learn how to trust again, and it won't hurt to throw a little romance in there.  I realize that this may be unrealistic, but it is a work of fiction, and we can all use a happy ending every now and then.  I look forward to your comments!_


	3. Chapter 3

"Mr. Quill," YN said politely as she shook the man's hand.  "I'm YN YLN"

He made a noise and gave a wave of his hand.  "We don't stand on formalities around here, YN.  Just call me Peter."

YN was hesitant to heed his request.  "Thank you, Mr. Quill, but I'd prefer to keep things professional."

"Whatever floats your boat, darlin'," he said as he turned and motioned for her to follow him.

His continued use of pet names rankled her, but she tried to remind herself that he was just a simple cowboy who probably didn't know any better.  Steeling her nerves, she followed him into one of the cabins that surrounded the riding arena.

By the time she'd entered the small structure, he'd already taken a seat at his desk.  "Please have a seat.  Can I get you something to drink – a water, or a Coke?"

Startled by his shift in persona, she eyed him warily as she took a seat in front of his desk.  "I'll take a bottle of water, if you don't mind."

He gave her a warm smile and reached behind him to retrieve a bottle of water from the mini-fridge.  Handing it over, he asked, "So what brings you to Thousand Oaks?"

"An old friend from college lives here," she replied, trying to keep her answers vague.  "I was looking for a change and decided to come back to Montana."

"Oh, you've lived here before?" he asked, genuinely surprised by her answer.

"I did my undergrad studies at the University of Montana in Missoula," she said as she took a sip of the water.

Nodding his head, he said, "It's a good school.  Where are you living right now?"

Taken aback by his question, she eyed him warily.  "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's just that I offer my employees free lodging as a part of their salary," he explained as he nodded toward the row of cabins that could be seen out of the window to his right.  "We just had someone leave, so her cabin is vacant – if you're interested."

"Is it a requirement of the job to live on the property?"

"No," he said as he shrugged his shoulders.  "It's just more convenient.  Everyone does a night rotation monitoring the main cabin where the kids live, so it's just easier if all your stuff is already here."

"That makes sense," she told him as she put the lid back on the water and placed in on the floor by her chair.  "I'm staying with some friends out on Route 12 right now, but if this works out, I might consider your offer."

He gave her a clueless look as he shook his head.  "I'm horrible with directions, so I have no clue which road is Route 12.  It doesn't matter, though."  He reached into a file cabinet and shifted some folders around until he found what he was looking for.  "First things first, why don't you fill out an application, and once I do a background check, we can talk salary."

"Just like that?" she asked, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

He shrugged his shoulders.  "You said you had a Master's degree in Education, and we don't normally get someone with your qualifications..  I figure you know your way around kids.  The hardest part is the horses, but I can teach you anything you need to know there."

"Okay," she said as she took the application and began filling it out.  Since she'd had the sense to change her teaching license over to her new name, and get a job substitute teaching in Charlotte, she didn't have to lie to him about everything in her history.  This was her chance to build a life where Billy would never find her, and as long as Steve and Rowan were the only two that knew the truth about her, she'd be safe here in Thousand Oaks.

When she'd finished the application and handed it back, Peter took a cursory glance at it before laying it on his desk.  "Well, it's Friday, and I have some plans for this evening, so I'm going to get started on that background check and unless you turn out to be a wanted criminal on the run, you can start on Monday morning."

"Thank you," she said as she stood and offered her hand.  "I really appreciate the opportunity."

"We'll see if you're still thanking me after your first day," he said as he shook her hand across the desk.  "We start at five a.m. around here.  The kids have to take care of the horses before the bus picks them up for school."

"You don't homeschool them here?" she asked.

"We've never had a certified teacher working here before.  If you stay, we may have to rethink that idea, although I think it's good for them to go to school so they can socialize with the other kids – helps them to feel less isolated than if they were stuck out here all of the time."

She nodded her head.  "That makes sense.  Do the local kids know that the children here come from troubled pasts?"

He lifted his hand and wobbled it side to side.  "To some degree, but for the most part, they treat them like they do all of the other kids.  We have a great little community in Thousand Oaks."

"It sounds like it," YN agreed as she began walking toward the door.

"Hey, I was wondering," he said, drawing her attention back to him as he rubbed the back of neck with one hand.  "If you're interested, we could go out for dinner tomorrow night and I could tell you more about what we do here.  You like to dance?"

She could see the slippery slope ahead of her, and she knew she didn't want things to slide from profession to personal between them.  He seemed like a nice guy, but she wasn't so far removed from the game that she couldn't recognize a player when she met one.

"I appreciate the offer," she said, trying to ease the sting of rejection, "but I think it's best if we don't mix our professional and personal lives."

"Oh, man," he said, his eyes going wide.  "I'm sorry.  I'm practically your boss, and here I am asking you out on a date."  He held his hands up in front of him before continuing.  "I swear I'm not trying to sexually harass you."

Watching him flounder gave her more enjoyment than it should have, so she took pity on him.  "I'm not going to file a lawsuit against you, I swear.  Have a good weekend, and I'll see you at five o'clock Monday morning, unless I hear from you otherwise."

"Good, great, yeah," he stammered as he started to walk her out the door and then stopped himself.  Giving her an awkward wave, he stared out the window and watched as she walked back to her truck.  He had a moment of déjà vu when he looked at the beat-up truck, but he was too captivated by her beauty to pay too much attention.

Deciding that he'd reached an all time low by hitting on his new employee, he walked back to his desk and buried his face in his hands.  When was the last time a woman got him all tongue-tied and flustered like that?  This wasn't like him at all.  Maybe it was a good thing that she'd turned him down.  Taking a deep breath, he picked up the phone and dialed Sam's number.

"Hey, man," Peter said when Sam answered.  "I need a favor. I just got an application for the job opening, and I was wondering if you could run a check on her for me?  I'll have the form filled out for you when you come by for poker tonight, so don't throw a fit on me."

Peter thanked him, and hung up as he did a background check of his own.  Sam's may be more official, but there was a lot you could learn about someone from their social media accounts.  He pulled up his search engine and typed in her name.  After twenty minutes, he'd only found one result for her, and it was on the Board of Education site where she'd worked in Charlotte.  It was one brief statement in the meeting minutes where she'd been approved to substitute teach in Mecklenburg County a year ago.

He sat back in his chair and ran a hand over his face.  He knew it shouldn't seem suspicious, but the lack of any digital footprint on her had alarm bells ringing for him.  He was about to head over to the main house to get ready for poker night when he got an email notification from Sam.  Opening it, he saw that it was the official background check, and it was just as odd as the amateur search he'd just completed.  He would have understood if there had been something there from her youth, but her record was absolutely spotless – a good credit score, no arrests, no marriage records, no social media accounts, but also no known family members.  The last one surprised him, and made him even more suspicious of her.  He'd have to talk to Sam tonight and see if he would dig a little deeper.  Something about this woman was off, and he was determined to find out what it was.

 

YN was excited to get back to Rowan's so she could tell her about the new job.  As she pulled up to the house, she saw Rowan's car sitting out front, and she got a little worried.  Checking the clock on the dashboard, she saw that it was only a little past four, and Rowan usually didn't get home until after five o'clock.

Scared that something had happened with the baby, YN rushed up the stairs and into the house.  "Rowan?"

When no one answered, she made her way to the back door and headed toward the barn.  She could hear a commotion coming from inside and when she went to investigate, she saw Rowan and Steve looking over one of the stall doors.

"Is everything okay?" YN asked, her voice full of concern.

Rowan looked over at her and a huge smile spread across her face.  "YN, you're just in time.  Come quick."

YN rushed down the aisle to see what was going on.  Looking over the stall door, she saw a mare laying on her side in the process of giving birth.  "Oh, she's having a baby."

"Have you ever seen a foal being born?" Steve asked as he moved over so YN could see.

"No, I haven't," she said as she watched the tiny horse begin to emerge.

"This is Sif," Rowan said as she looked down at the mare.  "It's her first baby, just like me." Rowan shook her head and let out a long breath.  "I just hope my labor goes as well as hers has."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," YN said as the mare began to push harder.  "Which one of these guys is the daddy?" 

Rowan nodded to the horse in the stall behind her.  "That would be Thor."

YN turned to look at the large Palomino peeking his head over the stall door behind her.  "That's your horse, right, Steve?"

Steve didn't get a chance to answer, though.  The mare was finally able to get the foal completely out and everyone's attention was now centered on the newly born horse.  YN watched in awe as the mother lay still for a moment, her flanks rapidly rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.  Within minutes, the mare was on her feet, helping the foal to remove the amniotic sac from around it's tiny body.

No one said a word for the next twenty minutes as they watched the foal struggle to gets it's legs up under itself so it could stand.  Sif nudged her baby for encouragement until it finally succeeded in standing.

"Would you look at that?" YN asked in amazement.  "In this world for less than a half hour and already walking."

"It never ceases to amaze me," Rowan said as she leaned her head against Steve's shoulders.  "That's going to be us in a few months."

"Yeah," he agreed with a smile.  "Too bad ours won't be up and walking that quickly."

YN watched as Rowan playfully swatted Steve on the shoulder.  "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's a boy," Rowan answered.  "We're naming him Woden Thorson."

"That's an odd name, isn't it?" YN asked.

"Steve is obsessed with these comic book characters," Rowan explained.  "He's the one who convinced me to name my horse Loki."

"And it was the perfect name for him," Steve told YN with a side-eyed glance at Rowan.  "Loki is the god mischief, and the equine version of him is just as ornery."

Rowan shifted her arm, causing her Fitbit display to light up.  "Oh, no, we're going to be late."

"What time is it?" Steve asked as he looked down at his own watch.  "I'd better go grab a shower if want to make it there on time."

"You go on," she told Steve.  "I'll get one of the hands to keep an eye on Sif and the colt."

"Where are you guys going?" YN asked as she and Rowan headed out of the barn to find one of the ranch hands.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Rowan asked as she flagged down a man who was just riding up to the barn.  "Steve and I get together with all of our friends on Friday night and play poker.  You're invited, of course.  It'll be a great opportunity for you to meet everyone."

"That sounds like fun," she said.  "I've heard so many stories about your friends, I can't wait to meet them all."

"Great," Rowan said before turning to the ranch hand and telling him about Sif and her new colt.  

Once Rowan had checked on the mare and her baby one last time, the two women made their way back to the house.  Steve was just coming down the stairs, his hair still wet from his shower, and wearing clean clothes.

"You're going to come with us?" he asked YN.

"I think it'll be good to meet some new people," she told him as he grabbed the keys and headed out the front door to Rowan's car.

As they drove, Rowan and Steve talked about what was going on at the ranch and how Rowan's day at the office had been.  YN was content to sit and listen to them talk.  After her disaster of a marriage, it was nice to see two people who genuinely cared about one another talk about their day.  It gave her hope that maybe someday she might meet someone like Steve.

"So, YN," Rowan said, turning around in her seat to look at her friend.  "What did you do today?  You'd said you were going to come into town."

"Oh," YN exclaimed as she suddenly remembered her big news.  "I totally forgot to tell you with all of the excitement in the barn.  I found a job."

"That's great," Steve said as he made a turn and started up a gravel driveway.  "Where are you going to be working?"

YN did a double take as they drove under the familiar archway.  Looking back at Steve's reflection in the rear view mirror, she whispered, "Here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 3 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed this part! What did you think of the Reader's first encounter with Peter? Did you like how flustered he got around her? He doesn't know it yet, but he just met his match! He's pretty suspicious of her right now. How long do you think it's going to take for him to find out the truth about her? How do you think poker night is going to go now that she's there?  I look forward to your comments!_


	4. Chapter 4

Rowan and Steve shared a worried look before Rowan turned back to YN.  "You're working for Peter?  At the ranch?"

"Yeah," YN said, suddenly worried that her two friends seemed so apprehensive about her working at Blackwater Falls.  "Should I not be?"

"No, it's not that," Steve said as he pulled up in front of the house.  "It's just that Peter's. . .a bit. . ."

"Of a flirt?" YN asked with smirk. 

Steve and Rowan both groaned, and Steve turned around to face YN.  "Be honest, did he hit on you?"

"He did," YN confirmed, but was quick to add, "but it was pretty harmless.  He just asked me out for dinner and dancing tomorrow night."

"Oh, thank God," Rowan said, visible relief washing over her face.

"I take it he's been known to make more risqué propositions than dinner?" YN asked, starting to get an idea of what kind of man her new boss would be.

"He's a hound dog, YN," Steve said, shaking his head.  "He's one of my best friends, but I feel like I need to be honest with you."

"Thank you, Steve," YN said as she laid a hand on his arm.  "I really appreciate that.  I kinda figured he was a player, and even if I was looking to start dating again, I wouldn't go for a guy like him.  Plus, he's my boss, and that's just not a good idea."

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea about Peter," Rowan said.  "He's got a heart of gold, and he's a total sweetheart when you get to know him.  He's just one of those guys that never wants to settle down."

"And that's fine," YN said, glancing at Steve with a smile.  "Right now, I don't know that I'll ever want to get married again, but if I do, I'd like to meet a guy like you, Steve."

"Aw, thanks, YN," he told her as he rubbed a hand over the one she'd laid on his arm.  "Well, now that we've cleared all that up, we should probably head on in."

The three of them exited the car and made their way up the front porch steps.  YN wasn't surprised when Steve and Rowan just let themselves into Peter's house.  From her first impression of the man, Peter seemed like the kind of guy that didn't stand on formalities.

"Hey guys," Steve said as he rounded the corner and made his way into Peter's man cave.

"Great, you guys are finally here," Peter said with a huge grin.  "I've got to tell y'all about the hot. . ."

Peter's eyes grew large and he seemed to be incapable of finishing his sentence when he spotted YN walking in behind Steve and Rowan.  YN knew what he'd been about to say, and the devious part of her couldn't wait to see how he was going to dig himself out of the hole he'd just dug.

". . .dogging that Nat was doing today," Peter finished as he cast a pleading glance in Nat's direction.

Nat gave him a confused look, but decided to play along.  "Yeah, it was something to see alright," she said lamely.

"Aw, you're being modest," Peter said with a wave of his hand.  "You should have seen her racing around those barrels.  I swear she hasn't lost her touch."

Steve and Rowan shared a look with YN, and when they saw the smile on her face, they decided to let the matter drop.  If YN wasn't going to take offense, then neither would they.

"It sounds like you had an interesting day today, Peter," Rowan said, unable to let him off the hook completely.  "Is that all that happened?"

"No it's not," Peter said as he gave YN a heart-stopping smile.

Ten years ago, that smile would have had her weak in the knees, but after Billy, she was wary of charming men like Peter.  She knew she could trust her friend's judgement of the man, but she just wasn't sure if she was ready for anything – even if all he was willing to offer was a casual fling to help her get her feet wet again.  

"This is YN," Rowan told the group sitting around the poker table.  "She's an old friend from college who's going to be staying with me and Steve for a while.  She's also going to be working here at the ranch until she decides if she wants to stay here permanently."

"You didn't tell me you knew Steve and Rowan," Peter said as he pulled up another chair to the table.

"You didn't ask me who I was staying with," she reminded him.  "You only asked where I was staying, and I told you."

"Well, at least now I know which road is Route 12."  He gestured for her to have a seat and went to grab a few beers.

Rowan took the opportunity to introduce her to everyone at the table, and YN knew that it would take her a little while to learn everyone's name.  She did recognized Teaghan from her first day in Thousand Oaks, and the other woman gave her a smile that let YN know that she was still willing to keep her secret.

"The only person that's not here right now is Kieran," Rowan told YN.  "She's an English professor at UM.  She and Bucky take turns visiting each other on the weekends.  This is her weekend to come here, so she should be on her way."

"Just got a text that she'd left campus about fifteen minutes ago," Bucky said, an unusually nervous smile spreading across his face.

Years of living with Billy had taught YN to be an excellent judge of body language and facial expressions, but she reminded herself that she didn't really know Rowan's friends that well – she'd only heard a thousand stories about them.  She may be completely wrong about Bucky, but she was willing to bet that he was hiding something.  Glancing around the table, she saw all the men exchanging glances, and she also noticed all the women looking suspiciously at the men.  Something was definitely up, and it seemed like the guys were the only ones in on it.

"Would you like a beer?" Peter asked, holding out a bottle to YN.

She thought about it for a second, and then decided that she was amongst friends and one beer couldn't hurt.  "Thank you," she said as she took the bottle from Peter.

Poker night was an enlightening experience for YN.  She'd heard so many stories of Rowan's friends while they were in college, and she'd always been a little jealous of the tight-knit group.  Now that she was here and around them all, she realized that Rowan hadn't been exaggerating – they were really that great.  She'd quickly learned that Kieran was actually Pip, but now that she and Bucky were dating, everyone had dropped the nickname.  She had been surprised to learn that Scott and Vis were fairly new additions to the group since everyone seemed to treat them as though they'd always been around.  It gave her hope that maybe one day she would also be accepted.  

Although she'd met Teaghan the previous weekend, Rowan had failed to mention that she was actually the famous romance novelist, Sophie Devereaux.  She'd taken a moment to gush over how much she loved Teaghan's books, but the other woman seemed to be embarrassed by the praise.  YN had learned that she was the newest member, having only met Sam and marrying him the previous fall.  

There had been a lot of questions about her past, but YN had been prepared for that.  She'd tried to stick as close to the truth as she could, but until she knew she could trust these people, she wasn't ready to tell them about Billy. She saw Peter exchange a glance with Sam, and she worried that those two had already become suspicious of her new identity's squeaky clean past.  She knew that Steve and Rowan trusted Sam, but after her experience with law enforcement in Florida, she was hesitant to blindly trust someone just because they had a badge.

 

Before they had left Peter's house the night before, they'd made plans to meet back at Blackwater Falls on Saturday afternoon for a ride out to the falls.  YN hadn't ridden in years, so Steve had offered to let her ride one of the older horses.  

"This is Frigga," Steve said as he led a beautiful Palomino mare from her stall.

"She's beautiful," YN said as she began to stoke the horse's shiny coat.

"She's actually Thor's mother," Rowan told her.

Steve handed over the reins to YN as he turned to guide Thor out of his stall.  "So she's yours as well?" 

A nostalgic smile spread across his face.  "No, she belonged to Rowan's mother.  Thor was born while we were in high school and I saved up all of my money to buy him from Rowan's dad."  He paused for a moment and gave a shake of his head.  "Rowan's folks treated me like I was their own, and looking back on it now, I realize that they let me buy this horse for considerably less than what he was worth."

Rowan gave him a look.  "They would've given him to you, but you were the one who insisted on buying him." 

YN glanced at Frigga and then at Thor.  "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Loki supposed to be Thor's brother in the Norse mythology?"

"He's adopted," Steve and Rowan said in unison, causing them both to start laughing.

Rowan recovered first and continued to explain.  "I actually found Loki at one of the state fairs.  He was a little over two years old and his owner was having a time with him.  He claimed that he was a mean-spirited horse that could never be broken, so he was offering a ridiculously low price for such a well-bred horse.  I took one look at him and knew I had to have him."

"Your dad thought you were crazy," Steve said with a smile.  "I thought you were crazy."

Rowan shook her head.  "Mom had died a few years before and Dad was overcompensating, so it was easy to talk him into buying the horse and letting me train him." She gave Steve a slight jab in the ribs before continuing.  "This one here named him Loki since he was so cantankerous.  He's definitely got a personality, but with me, he's the sweetest horse."

Steve gave YN a look that let her know that he thought Loki was anything but sweet.  YN laughed and followed behind the couple as they led Thor to the trailer. Once the two horses were loaded, they all climbed in and headed off to Peter's house.  Since Rowan was so far along in her pregnancy, she wouldn't be riding Loki, but instead, she’d be driving one of Peter's side-by-sides with all of the coolers for the beer and food.  Rowan had offered to let YN ride with her, but she'd decided to get back in the saddle in preparation for her new job Monday morning.

 

YN had met all of Steve and Rowan's friends the previous night, but today, there were a few new faces.  She remembered that Kieran was actually a few years younger than everyone, so it stood to reason that she would have made different friends once Maria had stopped babysitting her.  Kieran had made it a point to bring over Daisy and her boyfriend Lincoln, and Jemma and her boyfriend Leo, so that YN could meet them.  

It had seemed so commonplace to everyone else, but YN was reeling from it all.  She'd spent so many years locked away from the world with Billy, that she'd forgotten that this is how people really lived – surrounded by their friends and family.  She felt herself starting to tear up and thankfully, Peter announced that it was time to head out.

The ride out to the falls was absolutely beautiful.  YN had been shocked to learn that it was on this very trail that Sam had almost died the previous fall.  Looking out at the beautiful meadow with the rock outcroppings a few hundred yards away, she started to see it from a sniper's point of view.  It was a miracle that he had survived and that he was willing to continue riding this particular trail.

"It took me a while to come back out here," Sam admitted with a shrug as he looked at all of his friends.  "But the falls were always our spot growing up, and I wasn't about to let Rumlow take that away from me."

"We've had some good times out here," Nat said with a wink.

Wanda gave her sister a chastising look.  "Some of us more than others."

"I have a feeling there's still some good memories to make out here," Bucky said with a smile.

They continued to ride past the meadow toward the small hill.  YN could hear the sound of the falls and began to get anxious to finally see them for herself.  She'd heard so many stories from Rowan about late night camping trips complete with smuggled alcohol, hotdogs, and s'mores.  She just hoped that the reality of the place compared with the images she'd conjured up in her mind during those late night talks with her Big Sis.

When they topped the hill and came to the bridge, YN let out a gasp.  It was more beautiful than she'd ever imagined, and she could see why Rowan and her friends had been drawn to the spot as teenagers, and still continued to visit well into adulthood.

Everyone else continued down the other side of the trail to the bottom of the falls, but YN held back a few moments.  Rowan rode up beside her and got out of the UTV.  YN dismounted and looped the reins around the railing of the bridge before walking out to the center to look over at the falls cascading below her.

"This part of Montana has the only black obsidian deposits in the state," Rowan explained as she leaned on the rail and looked over with YN.

"It's even more breathtaking than you described."

Rowan gave her a smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.  "It's a special place for all of us.  I'm glad I'm finally getting a chance to share it with you."

"Thank you," YN said, starting to get a little misty eyed as she wrapped her arm around Rowan's waist.  "Not just for bringing me here, but for everything.  You and Steve have been so wonderful to me – giving me a place to live, and making me feel like a part of your group. . ."

"Honey, you're one of my best friends," Rowan said with a shake of her head.  "After the breakup with Steve, I pushed away everyone and I was so alone until I joined the sorority.  I loved my Big Sis, but it wasn't until I met you that I truly felt like I'd found a new friend.  You helped me more back then that I ever told you, so I'm glad I've finally gotten the chance to repay the favor."

The two woman held onto one another, their heads tilted together and just stood in the comfort of their friendship for a moment.  The roar of the falls drowned out the sounds around them, but eventually Steve got their attention and motioned for them to join the rest of the group down below.

Riding across the flat plane of the meadow had been a breeze, and even the small hill hadn't been that bad going up, but going back down to the falls tested YN's nerves.  Thankfully, Frigga had been on this trail numerous times, so YN was able to just hold on to the reins and let her make her way down the steep hill. 

By the time they’d joined the rest of the group, Peter had built a small fire so they could roast the marshmallows for s'mores after lunch.  The guys started unloading all of the coolers that had been stored in the back of the side-by-side as Steve set up a chair for Rowan to sit in.  The other women had spread blankets along the ground so the rest of the group could eat picnic style.

"Where's Bucky and Kieran going?" Daisy asked as she began to unpack one of the coolers Sam had set down beside Rowan's chair.

The guys all exchanged a look that had the women narrowing their eyes.  Bucky and Kieran had walked to the edge of the falls and then stopped as Bucky began speaking.  The sound of the falls drowned out his words, but they could tell from the look on his face that whatever he was saying was serious.

"Ok," Rowan said as she crossed her arms over her chest.  "What's going on?"  

The guys all adopted innocent looks, but Maria wasn't buying it.  "Don't play dumb with us.  You all know something we don't. . ."

"Ooh," Jemma gasped suddenly, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she turned to look back toward Bucky and Kieran.

There wasn't time to ask anymore questions as they watched Bucky drop down to one knee and pull out a small black box.  Finally understanding what was going on, all of the women let out a romantic sigh and waited with bated breath to see what Kieran's reaction would be.  When they saw Bucky slide the ring onto her finger, they all began cheering.  

The next few minutes were full of congratulations, hugs, and friendly slaps on the back once Bucky and Kieran had returned to the group.  YN had moved away from the group to give them a chance to celebrate.  She thought back to Billy's proposal, and how happy she'd been when he'd asked her to marry him.  She felt a momentary pang of worry before she reminded herself that not all men were like Billy, and from what Rowan had told her about Bucky, he was just as wonderful – if not more so – than Steve.  Bucky had chosen to propose to the woman he loved in front of all of their friends, and he and Kieran had spent the past few months dating long distance.  Billy would have never stood for any of that, and that's what made all of the men standing around her right now so much better than the one she'd mistakenly married.

She heard the click of a camera and nervously looked behind her.  She narrowed her eyes at the tall, handsome man that was busy taking pictures.  She hadn't met him before, but she assumed that Bucky had hired the photographer to capture the proposal on camera.

"Hi," she said softly, not wanting to disturb his focus.

"Well, hello there, pretty lady," the photographer said as he lowered the camera and gave her a wink.  "I haven't had the pleasure yet.  I'm Wade."

He held out his hand and YN took it with a smile.  It had been years since someone had flirted with her, and now she'd had two different men in as many days compliment her, and she was a bit flustered.

"I'm YN," she told him once she'd found her voice again.  "I'm an old friend of Rowan's from college."

"Oh, I see," Wade said as gave a knowing nod.  "You're the current Wye-En."

"I'm sorry," YN said, not understanding what he meant.

"Wye-En," Wade repeated.  "You're actually the fourth one.  Rowan was first, then it was Kieran.  Teaghan finally got a name a few chapters ago, and now it's your turn."  He paused for a moment and let out a sigh.  "I kinda feel sorry for Nat and Wanda's mom.  She'll be the last one, so she'll never get a name."

YN's eyes grew wide with concern as she wondered if this man was mentally sane.  "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He gave her a sly smile and looked straight ahead.  "She doesn't, but all you lovely readers out there in Marvel land know what I'm talking about, right?  Poor thing has no idea she's just a character in a book."

YN took a step back to the group, seriously concerned about this strange man.  She hadn't made it far when she heard Nat call out to him.

"Wade.  Stop running your mouth and take pictures."  Nat shook her head at him and wrapped her arm around YN's to draw her back into the group.  "Ignore Wade, he's a little weird at times, but he's harmless.

"Anything you say, Lapushka," Wade told Nat as he went back to taking pictures.

"You know him?" YN asked as she kept a wary eye on the odd man.

Nat gave a little shake of her head.  "We're kinda dating.  It's really more of a friends with benefits kind of deal – real light on the friends part."

"I see," YN said with a knowing smile.  "He's very handsome."

"And he's completely in love with my sister," Wanda said with a smirk as she joined them.  "Nat keeps stringing him along.  She swears it's only for the sex, but I think she's kinda sweet on him."

"We must be talking about Wade," Rowan said as the woman sat down on the blanket beside her chair.

"Remind me again why we're talking about me and Wade when Bucky just proposed to Kieran?" Nat asked with a roll of her eyes.

Maria found a spot and sat down beside them before offering her opinion. "Because we're all waiting for the day he gets down on one knee and begs you to make an honest man of him."

"Wade knows I'm not interested in getting married," Nat reminded them as she grabbed a beer from the cooler and popped the top.

"Don't be a fool, Natalia," Wanda said with a chastising look.  "Just take a deep breath.  Can't you smell it?  Love is in the air, and it's contagious."

Peter came over and plopped down beside them, wrapping an arm around Nat's shoulders.  "Good thing you and I are immune to that particular disease, huh, Nat?"

Nat tipped her beer to clink against Peter's.  "You've got that right."

"You don't believe in love, Peter?" YN asked before she could stop herself.

"It depends on your definition of love, sweetheart," Peter said with a wry grin.  "I've loved a lot of women in my life, but if you're talking about the till-death-do-us-part kinda love, then I'm going to have to say no."

"So, your idea of love is just sex," YN surmised.

Peter wrinkled his nose before taking a swig of his beer.  "You say that like it's a bad thing.  Sex is a natural, and healthy, part of life.  Some people prefer to only have one partner for the rest of their lives, but I just can't be that selfish."

Unable to help herself, YN let out a snort of laughter.  "You definitely have a high opinion of yourself."

"You have no idea," Maria said as she rolled her eyes.  "I've told him he should just install a revolving door on his house – it would make it so much easier on everyone involved."

"While it would be convenient, it would ruin the aesthetics," Peter said, changing his voice to sound snooty and lifting his pinky in the air as he took a sip of his beer.

Their conversation was interrupted as everyone else finally made their way back to the blankets and the food and beer began to be passed around.  YN couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a picnic, and she wasn't sure if she was having such a great time because of the fun atmosphere, or because of the company she was in.  Either way, she was glad she'd decided to come back to Montana.

Once everyone had a full plate, Kieran got everyone's attention.  "Okay guys.  I have an announcement to make."

"You're getting married?" Peter asked, earning him a groan from most everyone there.

Kieran wasn't deterred, though.  She looked down at her new engagement ring with giddy delight before continuing.  "I'd actually planned to make this announcement today anyway – that's why I suggested we all come out here together."

"Well, what is it?" Maria asked when Kieran paused for a moment.

"I got a job offer," Kieran said with a huge smile.

"Dr. Carter offered you a permanent position at UM?" Bucky asked, a forced smile on his face.

YN leaned over to whisper to Rowan.  "Is she talking about Peggy Carter, the head of the English department?"

"Yes," Rowan whispered back.

"Really?" YN asked with a small laugh.  "I thought she was old when we were in college. She must be over a hundred by now."

Rowan choked back a laugh as she struggled to pay attention to what Kieran was saying.  She'd forgotten how snarky her friend could be.

"Dr. Carter did offer me a position teaching intro level English courses," Kieran began.  "But I also got another offer that I believe is better suited for my situation.  The Thousand Oaks community college has offered to make me the head of their English department."

Bucky's face lit up and he leaned over to frame Kieran's face in his hands as he kissed her.  "That's amazing, doll."

"I know, right?" Kieran asked.  "It's the perfect opportunity for me.  I get to head up my own department and I'll be able to move back home with you."

There was another round of hugs and congratulations as everyone began to celebrate Kieran's new job.  Peter took the opportunity to pull Sam away from the crowd for a private word.

"So, what do you think about YN?" Peter asked Sam once they were close enough to the falls to drown out their conversation from the rest of the group.

"She seems like a nice woman," Sam said initially, but he knew what Peter really meant.  "She also seems a bit skittish.  Did you see the way she reacted when Wade came up behind her?"

"She does a good job of blending in," Peter agreed, "but you can tell she always has an eye on everyone around her."  He bent down and picked up a rock, turning it over in his hands a few times before skipping it across the small pool at the base of the falls.  "There's something off about her background check, don't you think?"

"Too clean," Sam said, guessing where Peter was going with this conversation.  "You want me to look a little deeper?"

Peter took a minute to think.  "I hate to say yes since she's Rowan's friend, but I have the kids to consider.  It might be nothing, but it wouldn't hurt to take a closer look, right?"

"Consider it done," Sam said as he clapped his friend on the shoulder and headed back to the group.

Peter stayed by the falls for a few moments and watched his friends laughing and joking a few yards away.  YN seemed to fit right into the group, but there was something about her that just didn't seem right.  Maybe he was reading too much into it, but his instincts usually didn't lead him astray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 4 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  Did you like it when Peter got busted talking about his "hot" new employee? Were you excited that Bucky proposed to Kieran and that she's moving back to Thousand Oaks? I've had this planned out since South Hills, so it was so wonderful to finally close that open chapter in their story. Did you like Wade's return? What do you think is going to happen between him and Nat? Peter and Sam are both pretty suspicious of the Reader. Do you think Peter's going to find out her secret before she's ready to tell him? I look forward to your comments!_


	5. Chapter 5

YN was rudely awakened Monday morning by the sound of her alarm.  Groaning, she reached over and blindly fumbled for her phone to stop the incessant buzzing.  She rolled over onto her back and looked up at the ceiling.  It was only four o'clock in the morning and the world was still enveloped in darkness.  Why on earth had she decided to take a job that forced her to be up at this ungodly hour?

Taking a deep breath, she drug herself out of bed and after grabbing some clean clothes, headed toward the bathroom a few doors down from her bedroom.  The hot shower did wonders to help her wake up, and by the time she'd gotten out, her frazzled nerves had forced her into consciousness.  It was her first day at Blackwater Falls, and she had no idea what to expect.  She was a little hesitant to be working with Peter since she knew he was both attracted to her and suspicious of her at the same time.

As she headed back to her room to finish getting ready, she met Steve in the hallway.  "Good morning," she whispered, knowing that Rowan was most likely still asleep.

"Morning," he replied with a warm smile.  "Ready for your first day?"

She wrinkled her nose and gave him a forced smile.  "I'm starting to get a bit nervous."

He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.  "I'm sure you'll do just fine.  Peter really is a great guy, and he's done an amazing job with the ranch.  He might flirt with you a little, but he's harmless."

YN nodded her head in agreement.  "As long as he knows that no means no, we'll get along just fine."

Steve gave her a enigmatic smile as he lowered his hand.  "Oh, he knows what the word no means – he heard it enough times from Nat while we were growing up."

"Peter and Nat?" YN asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Oh, yeah," Steve said with a quiet laugh.  "He was so in love with her when we were teenagers, but she wasn't interested in him.  He asked her to Junior prom, and she finally just told him that she didn't see him that way, and that was the end of it.  He ended up going with someone else and he and Nat have been friends ever since."

YN's eyes gave away her surprise.  "Wow, I'm shocked.  I would have never pegged him as the kind of guy that would handle rejection that well."

"Like I said," Steve told her as he started down the hallway toward the stairs, "Peter's a really great guy – he just doesn't like to admit it."

"Thanks, Steve," YN said as she turned back to her room.  She was glad that she'd run into him this morning.  His insight into Peter's character made her feel better about going to work for him.

 

The sun still didn't look like it was anywhere near being ready to pop up over the horizon as YN drove through town on her way to Blackwater Falls.  The town itself was beginning to wake up as she noticed lights on inside of the Cathedral Café.  They'd all had lunch there the day before and YN had been charmed by the tiny restaurant that Kieran's parents had renovated and run for years before they'd headed off on a cross-country adventure.  The more time YN spent around Rowan's friends, the more at home she felt in this small town in Western Montana.  As the days went by, she could see herself setting down roots and making a new life for herself here.  Billy may come to Montana looking for her, but he'd assume she went back to Missoula and would probably never think twice about searching beyond the city limits.

Turning onto the gravel lane that led to Blackwater Falls, she slowed as she came to the archway that bore the name of the ranch.  It was silly, but she wanted a moment to relish this first step toward making a life on her own.  It was still pitch black dark, and she could barely make out the words on the sign, but today was the first day of the rest of her life and she wanted to savor it.

She pulled up next to the cabin that housed Peter's office and wasn't surprised to see a light on through the window.  For all of his womanizing ways, Peter seemed to really care about this ranch and the kids that came here from troubled homes.  

She hopped down from the truck cab and started up the short flight of stairs to knock on the door, but before she even made it onto the porch, Peter was at the door.  He gave her a tired smile and pulled the door shut behind him.

"Perfect timing," he said as he gestured toward the barn.  "The kids should be out any minute to go take care of the horses."

"Right to work, huh?" she asked with a grin.

"I figure there'll be time to show you around once they head off to school," he said as he walked beside her to the barn.  "We have over twenty horses stabled here – about half of them belong to my employees, but the other half are here for the kids to use.  Each employee is responsible for taking care of their own horse, but the kids are each assigned a horse while they're here."

"How many kids do you have living here right now?" she asked as she heard the door to the main cabin open and a group of kids came trudging toward the barn.

"We've got eight kids – four boys and four girls," Peter explained as the kids walked through the barn doors, each of them giving Peter a high five as they passed – all except for one girl who cautiously looked at YN before her gaze darted back to her feet.

"Who's that?" YN asked as she watched the girl head straight for a stall and begin nuzzling the horse than leaned down to greet her.

"That's Grace," Peter said with a worried look.  "I'll fill you in on her story once we finish up here." 

YN watched his face go from concerned to jubilant in a matter of seconds as he turned back toward the kids.  She wasn't sure if she should be impressed that he could switch emotions so quickly, or be concerned that it was so easy for him to hide his true feelings.  As Peter started talking to the kids, YN felt a presence behind her.  Turning to look, she found Wanda leaning against the barn door with a smirk on her face.

"Still trying to figure out our boss?" she asked.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," YN said, instantly on guard since the brunette seemed to have been able to read her mind.

"The look on your face," Wanda began.  "You're trying to figure out which side of him is the real Peter Quill – the goofy, overgrown kid, or the concerned guardian looking out for the well-being of his children."  Wanda waited a moment as she watched a look of shock come over YN's face.  "I'll fill you in on a little secret – it's both."

YN nodded her head and turned to look at Peter again.  "That's good to know, although I'm not sure how he manages both personalities."

"He cares about these kids more than you could ever imagine," Nat said as she walked up behind them with a cup of coffee cradled in her hands.

"Why is that?" YN asked, her brow narrowing in question.  "Why would a self-confirmed bachelor tie himself down to a bunch of kids that weren't his?"

Wanda shot a look toward her sister, and Nat gave her a slight nod.  Turning back to YN, she said, "You'll find out eventually, so it'll be better coming from us.  Peter grew up in the foster system.  His dad bailed on his mom before he was born, and then she died of cancer when he was eight.  He had a bad reputation in the foster system, but the guy who used to own this ranch – everyone just called him Yondu – decided to take him in.  Dad helped him out since he was a single man trying to foster a young boy, but by that time, the judge was sick of dealing with Peter so he decided to give Yondu a shot."

"What happened to Yondu?" YN asked, scared she already knew the answer to that question.

"He died saving Peter from a wild stallion," Nat said with a sad look on her face.  "It still eats at Peter, so we don't talk about it often."

YN looked back at Peter for a moment and tried to imagine him as a kid being bounced from one foster home to another, never feeling like he belonged anywhere and always pushing the boundaries to see where the line would be drawn.  "Let me guess, he was doing something he shouldn't have been doing?"

A wry grin spread across Nat's face.  "You're a shrewd one – I like you.  And yes, he was being stupid.  We'd just graduated from high school and Peter decided it was time to tame the stallion Yondu had bought at auction a few months before.  The horse got away from him and was about to trample him to death when Yondu pushed him out of the way.  The horse crushed Yondu's rib cage and he died almost instantly."

YN's heart broke as she tried to imagine what Peter must have gone through.  "That's horrible.  Poor Peter.  No wonder he turned the ranch into a group home for troubled kids – it's a great way to honor the memory of the man who gave him a home.  What happened to the horse?" YN asked.

Wanda shook her head as she motioned toward one of the stalls with her chin.  "He named him Ego and spent the rest of the summer taming him."

"That's the horse that killed his foster dad?" YN asked, her eyes growing large.  "He seemed like such a gentle horse when Peter had him out on the trail on Saturday."

"He is," Nat said.  "And that's all due to Peter.  He never held it against the horse for killing Yondu.  Peter shoulders all of that blame himself, especially when he found out that Yondu had left him the ranch in his will."

"Wow," YN said, suddenly at a loss for words.  Peter Quill was quite the enigma.  Just when she thought she had him figured out, she learned something new about him that made her question her assumptions about the man.

As if he knew he was being talked about, Peter turned toward them and gave them a dirty look.  "Are you three going to stand around and gossip all morning, or do you plan on doing some work today?"

YN's stomach dropped, but Nat just shook her head and rolled her eyes at Peter.  "Don't worry about him, YN.  Come on, I'll show you where the grain is kept and you can help the kids feed the horses this morning."

By the time the horses had been fed and their stalls had been mucked, the sun had decided to start its journey across the sky.  YN walked out of the barn behind the kids and watched as they went back to the main cabin to clean up before the bus came by to pick them up at a half past six.  Nat, Wanda, and the rest of Peter's crew followed behind them to make sure that they had made their beds and picked up their rooms after they'd all taken a shower.

"I'll do a proper introduction once they get home this afternoon," Peter told her as he walked up behind her.  "Right now, let's head back to the office so I can give you a rundown of what you'll be doing here."

YN nodded and followed along behind him.  She was already exhausted, and she'd barely done anything but haul grain and muck out the stall of the horse Peter had assigned to her.  She was an older mare, like Frigga, but unlike the Palomino, Nova was a dapple-gray American Quarter Horse.  YN had fallen in love with her the moment she'd seen her, and she was looking forward to getting an opportunity to take her for a ride.

Peter walked into his office and went around his desk to find a file folder as YN took a seat in one of the visitor's chairs.  She was surprised when he came back around and sat in the chair beside her.  Opening the folder, he took out a schedule and handed it over to her.

"Here's the rundown of the day," he explained as he pointed to different sections.  "We start at five and the kids all report to the barn to feed their horse and muck their stall.  Once that's finished, they go back to the main cabin and clean up while the staff does a room check.  Everyone is required to make their bed and keep their room picked up while they're here.  The bus runs at half past six and they eat breakfast and lunch at school.  Once they get back to the ranch, they check on the horses again before they do their homework.  Once that's done, they get to go riding.  The staff is on a rotation to cook dinner for the kids. . ."  He paused for a moment, looking up at her with a questioning glance.  "Is that going to be a problem?"

YN looked up at him in surprise and began to shake her head.  "Not at all.  I can cook just about anything – hamburgers, mac and cheese, spaghetti, you name it."  

"Good," he said with a nod.  "Some people have a specialty, and the kids look forward to certain people cooking dinner.  Get with the rest of the crew and figure out what they plan to cook and you can fill in whatever you want."  He looked back over the schedule before nodding his head and continuing.  "Also, the people on dinner duty are the same ones that do the overnight watch."

"What does the overnight watch entail?" she asked.  "Are we supposed to stay up all night, or. . ."

"There are two people on shift – one man and one woman," he explained.  "The kids' rooms are equipped with motion detectors that are set to activate at ten o'clock.  You'll have the monitor for the girls' side and your male counterpart will have the one for the boys'.  There's a joint bathroom for every two rooms, so the kids won't trip the sensors if they need to get up in the middle of the night.  This is the reason why I offer the cabins to the staff.  You can set up an empty one for the nights you're on duty."

YN nodded, impressed with the entire operation.  "It sounds like you've thought of everything.  Who will I be on shift with?"

Peter took another sheet of paper out of the folder and glanced at the chart before answering.  "You'll be with Robbie Reyes.  He's a good guy, you'll like him."

"Okay," she said, glad that she wouldn't be paired up with Peter, but still a little nervous at the thought of spending the night away from the safety and comfort of Rowan and Steve's home.    "How often do we have to do the overnight watch?"

"Because almost half of the crew take off every Friday night, me, Nat, Wanda, Maria, Scott, and Vis take the Saturday and Sunday shifts – just to be fair."

"That makes sense," YN agreed.  

"It's nice since you'll never have to stay overnight on Saturday or Sunday, but because it's a five day rotation with four pairs, every fourth week you'll do a Monday and Friday rotation," Peter explained.  "When you do an overnight rotation, though, you get to go straight back to your cabin once the kids are up and in the barn.  I let those people take the morning off, since they were on-call all night, while the rest of us get them ready for school.  There's also a daytime rotation for the weekends, but everyone on staff is on that rotation, so it's only once or twice a month."

"Is there anything special for the weekends, or do the kids just do whatever they want?" she asked, trying to gain some understanding of how structured life would be like for the kids.

Peter shrugged his shoulders.  "We pretty much let the kids do whatever they want to on the weekends.  Most of them want to lounge around watching TV or reading a book.  We have a few computers, but those are locked down with the parental controls and they're in the middle of the common room, so we don't worry too much about what they search for on the internet.  On occasion, we'll take them all to the movies, or a trip to the mall in Missoula.  These kids aren't here because they're bad kids.  Most of them just come from bad homes and need somewhere they can feel safe again."

"I think what you do here is amazing," YN told him with a warm smile.  "The way you've opened your home to these kids – it's just not something you see everyday."

"I wish I could help more kids, but even if I only help one, then it'll all be worth it."

YN was taken aback by his statement.  She could tell that he was truly sincere about what he was saying.  She realized at that moment that she'd been wrong about him.  Sure, he'd most likely never be the kind of man who'd be willing to settle down with one woman, but it wasn't because he was scared of commitment.  If she had to take a guess, she'd say he refused to develop a lasting relationship with a woman because he was scared that she would leave him.  The wounds from his childhood still ran deep in him and she was sure that's why he kept most people at arm's length.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 5 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! We learned a lot about Peter in this part. I tried to stay true to his backstory in Guardians of the Galaxy and I think it'll help you to understand his character a little bit more. Obviously, these are just my thoughts about why Peter is the way he is, so you may nor not agree. The Reader is definitely starting to see him in a different light. How long do you think it's going to take before she starts to tear down the walls she's built to protect herself after her abusive marriage? I look forward to your comments!_


	6. Chapter 6

YN had stayed in Peter's office for a while going over the folder he'd given her while he sat behind his computer and did some work of his own. She'd asked him if he wanted her to leave, but he'd insisted that she wouldn't bother him. Once she'd started reading through the childrens' files, she'd all but forgotten he was even there. It amazed her that she had been able to feel so comfortable around him in such a short amount of time. She'd just gotten to Grace's file when Peter stood up and caught her attention.

"Time for breakfast," he announced as he came around the side of his desk and walked toward the door.

"Breakfast?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

"Best part of the day," he told her with a wry grin. "Once we get the kids on the bus, the crew cooks a huge breakfast while we have an informal staff meeting. I'd usually be in there with them already, but I wanted to give you a chance to go over the files so you'd have an idea what we were talking about this morning."

"Oh," she said, a bit taken aback that he'd thought to be so considerate. "Thank you."

She followed him out of the office and across the yard to the main cabin. She'd eyed him warily when he'd held the door open for her, but she just shrugged it off as something he did without thinking. The smells that greeted her as she walked into the building had her stomach growling in response. There was something almost hypnotic about the smell of bacon first thing in the morning. She watched as Peter's crew worked together to set the table and transfer platters and bowls piled high with food to the large table to the right of the kitchen.

"Hey guys," Peter said, gaining everyone's attention. "I wanted to introduce you to the newest member of our team. This is YN YLN."

YN was met with a round of warm smiles as Wanda walked over to her and looped YN's arm through hers to guide her to the table. Once they'd all been seated, Peter went around and introduced the rest of the crew. She already knew Nat, Wanda, Maria, Scott, and Vis from poker the other night and the ride out to the falls on Saturday. The other faces were strangers to her, but she was used to having to learn names quickly from her time as a teacher. She took in details about each person to help her remember who they were. The tall woman with long brunette hair and razor sharp cheekbones was Agnes Kitsworth, the British man with dark, close-cropped hair and a killer smile was Lance Hunter, the tall blonde beside him who looked as lethal as she was beautiful was Bobbi Morse, the dark-haired man with the piercing blue eyes and cauliflower ear was Jeffrey Mace, Deke Montgomery had striking moss green eyes and a cleft chin, Tess Harlow was the sultry brunette with the amber colored eyes, and Robbie Reyes also had dark, close-cropped hair, but he was the only man who sported a mustache so he'd be easy to remember. Robbie was also going to be her partner for dinner prep and the overnight watch, so she made it a point to pay careful attention to him. 

As the platters and bowls of food began to be passed around, different people began inquiring into YN's past. She kept her answers as vague as possible – just as she'd done Friday night – so she wouldn't feel as though she was completely lying to them about who she was.

Once the introductions were over, they began talking about the kids and other issues that needed to be taken care of at the ranch. YN ate in silence as she tried to remember the face of each kid they discussed from the files she'd just been reading. She hadn't gotten a chance to finish Grace's file, so she paid extra attention to Wanda's observations about the young girl.

"I've tried to get Grace to open up to me," Wanda said with a frustrated look on her face, "but she's still as closed off as she was when she came here three weeks ago."

"I've tried to talk to her, too," Bobbi added, a frown on her face. "The only one she seems to talk to around her is Gamora."

YN leaned over to Nat and whispered, "Who's Gamora?"

Nat gave her a smile as she answered, "Grace's horse."

"Oh," YN said, finally understanding. It seemed as though this child was having a difficult time adjusting to her new surroundings. YN had only gotten to the part in her file where CPS had taken her out of the home due to physical abuse inflicted by a parent. Thinking back to her own experiences, she thought that she might be able to offer a different perspective on the issue, but she wasn't sure how to go about it without revealing her own history to her coworkers.

"Anyone got any ideas?" Peter asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

Everyone shook their heads, and YN began to speak before she could stop herself. "I've had some experience with physical abuse." Everyone at the table turned to look at her, so she quickly added, "while I was an elementary school teacher." 

It wasn't quite a lie – she had been an elementary school teacher, and she had been physically abused. Was is her fault that they assumed she was speaking of a child she'd encountered? She pushed down the feeling of guilt and waited to see what they would say.

Peter began to nod his head. "You might be able to get through to her if you've dealt with a similar situation. We've had kids from abusive homes, but none of them have been as standoffish as Grace. She's a sweet kid, but she doesn't like to make eye contact with anyone, and she never goes out of her way to initiate a conversation. She'll talk to you if you ask her a direct question, but it's mostly just one or two word answers. Have you had any experiences with kids like that?"

YN's mind was propelled back to the last few years of her marriage to Billy. Everything Peter had described about Grace could have been used to describe her. She'd been terrified of looking her husband in the eye for fear that he would go off on one of his rants, and she went out of her way not to start a conversation with him. A feeling of immense sadness washed over her as she realized exactly what Grace was going through right now. YN had been lucky enough to have found a wonderful therapist who'd helped her see that none of what she'd endured with Billy had been her fault. Maybe she had been meant to come here so that she could use her own experiences to help Grace.

"Unfortunately, yes I have," she finally said with a tight-lipped smile. "From my experience, it'll be best to let her get to know me a little bit before I try to get her to talk. I'm a new face, and one she doesn't know if she can trust yet, so it'll take her some time to form an impression of me."

"Okay," Peter said, clapping his hands together. "We'll give YN some time to work with Grace. Any other issues we need to discuss this morning?"

"Davy mentioned that Drax was favoring his right front leg this morning," Lance said with a frown. "You want to take a look at him, Peter, before we call the vet?"

Peter's brow furrowed before he began to nod. "Yeah, let me have a look. He might have just something wedged between his hoof and his shoe, but if it's something more serious, I'll call the vet." He took a moment to look around the table again. "Anything else?" When no one else spoke up, he called the meeting to an end. "I'm going to show YN around the ranch – give her an idea of where everything is. You guys enjoy the rest of your day, and I'll see you all again when the kids get back from school."

YN watched as everyone started gathering dishes and headed back to the kitchen to clean up. "Should we go help them with the dishes?"

"You'll have plenty of opportunities to help clean up," he told her as he motioned toward the doorway to the left of the dining room. "Right now, I need to show you around so you'll be ready for when the kids get back."

Peter took her into the girls' wing of the main living quarters and let her poke her head into each of the rooms. She refused to go in since she saw it as an invasion of privacy, but seeing how each girl had decorated her room helped to give her an idea of their personality. They all looked like typical teenaged girls' rooms – full of posters of actors and pop stars and makeup and costume jewelry spread across their desks – except for Grace's room. Grace didn't have any posters on the wall, but instead she'd hung up pencil sketches that YN assumed she'd drawn herself. Most of them were of her horse, but there were a few landscapes that were richly detailed and YN desperately wanted to get a better look at them. It had been years since she'd picked up a sketch pad herself, and seeing Grace's artwork hung around her room had her longing for a piece of charcoal between her fingers.

The boys's side was exactly what she'd been expecting – posters of rock bands and a few scantily clad models lying on top of expensive cars. When she'd given Peter a censuring look, he's just shrugged and shook his head.

They'd headed back to the barn so Peter could check on Drax's leg. She'd stood off to the side as he crouched down and gently rubbed the large horse's leg until he was calm enough to let Peter bend it to check his hoof. Peter pulled out a small tool with a hook on the end and dislodged something stuck up under the shoe. Nodding his head, he held up the tiny pebble for YN to see before lowering the horse's hoof back to the ground.

"Davy must have missed that last night when he brought him back from his ride," Peter said with a frown. "I'll have a talk with him, but Drax should be fine now. Come on, let's take a ride so I can show you the rest of the property."

Peter showed her how to properly place the saddle on Nova's back and cinch the buckle. She was a bit uncomfortable being in such close proximity to him, but it was more of an acute awareness of him, rather than a fear. So far he'd been the perfect gentleman, and if he hadn't tried to hit on her last Friday, she would've thought he wasn't attracted to her at all. She wasn't quite sure if she was glad that he was behaving himself, or upset that he might not be interested in her after all. She mentally shook her head to clear her thoughts and chided herself for letting her mind wander down such a dangerous path.

They'd ridden along the same path that led to the falls, but instead of going straight through the trees, they took a path that veered off to the right. It was a beautiful spring day, and the temperatures had risen just enough that the cool breeze rustling through the trees was refreshing instead of chilly. The path turned and followed along the bank of the creek that flowed from the base of the falls. She loved the sounds the water made as they gently splashed against the rocks along the creek bed. Neither she nor Peter spoke as they continued their ride through this wooded wonderland. Without saying a word, he'd pointed to the sky as a golden eagle soared overhead, the sun glinting off it's impressive wingspan and giving it an angelic aura. The longer YN spent in Montana, the more she fell in love with the state she'd decided to call home.

Peter had glanced down at his watch and with a frown, had begun the trip back to the barn. YN had enjoyed spending the day riding through the various trails on his land. She knew he'd only been showing them to her so she would be prepared to take the kids out, but she couldn't help but wonder why he'd been the one to show her – any of the other employees would have probably been happy to take her out. Maybe she was reading too much into something so simple, but it had been years since she'd had to navigate the world of male and female relationships, and she just wanted to make sure she knew where she stood with him.

As they neared the entrance to the barn, Peter dismounted and walked over to help her down from her horse. She hadn't been prepared for him to grab ahold of her hips as she lowered herself to the ground, so her surprise caused her to lose her balance. She reached out to grasp his shoulders to steady herself, not realizing that he'd pulled her closer to him to keep her from falling. The length of her body slid down his, and every nerve ending within her was instantly electrified. Her eyes darted to his and she inhaled sharply when she saw the look of naked desire swimming in the green depths.

He'd tried so hard today. He'd told himself that he was personally showing her around because of he was suspicious of her, but deep down he knew he was really just trying to prove to himself that he could be in the same vicinity as her and not make a move. He'd been so proud of himself for keeping their interactions purely professional, but then he'd felt her body against his and now his baser instincts were taking over. Just looking into her hauntingly beautiful eyes, that were both wide with shock and tinted with a touch of desire, was about to drive him over the edge, and then his gaze had traveled down to her mouth. Her lips had parted in shock from either the near-fall, or from being so close to him – he chose to believe it was the latter. His fingers flexed against her hips, drawing her a little closer to him, and he watched as her gaze traveled from his eyes to his lips. He knew it wasn't an invitation, but he'd never felt the need to kiss a woman as badly as he needed to kiss her. He raised one hand from her hip to lightly cup the back of her neck, and then he paused. Her eyes shot back to his and he waited for just a moment. If she pulled away from him now, he'd let her go, but he silently prayed that she would meet him halfway. After the span of a few labored breaths, he leaned in to finally get a taste of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 6 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! Some of you may recognize the rest of Peter's employees. . .I love Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. so I try to add those characters into my stories wherever I can!  Do you think the Reader is going to be able to help Grace?  What did you think about that last scene?  Will she actually kiss Peter? I look forward to your comments!_


	7. Chapter 7

YN had spent the entire drive back to Wolf Creek on autopilot as she thought about her first day of work at Blackwater Falls.  She was exhausted, and after all the riding she had done today, she was sure that her rear end would be screaming at her in the morning.  Both the kids and the staff had welcomed her to the ranch with open arms, and for the first time in years she actually felt like she was doing something productive with her life.

Pulling up to the house, she turned off the engine and made her way up the stairs to the front entrance.  She'd seen Rowan's car out front, and she was both nervous and excited to tell her friend about her first day at work.  Rowan would be excited that YN had fallen in love with her new job, but YN still wasn't sure what she was going to tell her about Peter.  Just the thought of him sent her mind back to that moment outside the barn, but she pushed down the memory and took a deep breath before opening the front door.  She still needed a little bit of time to think about what had happened and how she was going to deal with it.

"Hey, YN," Rowan called out when she heard the front door open.  "I'm in the kitchen."

YN hung up her coat and toed off her boots before making her way back to where Rowan was.  She could smell something amazing as Rowan flitted around the kitchen cooking dinner.  Rowan's belly seemed to grow larger everyday, and YN was amazed that her friend could still effortlessly continue her daily routine without any signs of slowing down.

Rowan gave her a huge smile as she poured YN a glass of wine and grabbed a bottle of seltzer water for herself.  "Dinner needs to simmer for a bit, come sit down and tell me all about it."

Taking the wine from Rowan, she followed her to the small table in the corner of the kitchen.  "It was wonderful.  I don't even know where to begin – the staff treated me like I had been working there for years instead of hours when I offered to help with one of the kids they were struggling with.  I got to officially meet the kids once they returned from school, and they are just the sweetest."

"Everyone loves working there," Rowan told her with a smile.  "I thought they were all crazy when Peter first proposed the idea, but they're really making a difference in those kids' lives."  She paused for a moment and gave YN a serious look.  "How was Peter?"

YN knew that Rowan would pick up on the fact that she hadn't mentioned her new boss and correctly deduce that something had happened that YN really didn't want to talk about.  Knowing that it would be best to get it out sooner rather than later, she decided to tell her about the incident by the barn.

"He was great," she began, wanting to stress that fact before she started.  "He showed me around and introduced me to everyone. . ."

"But?" Rowan asked, knowing there was more to the story.

"But, there was a moment," YN admitted.  "We'd gone out for a ride so I could familiarize myself with some of the other trails."  She paused so she could take a sip of her wine, both to relieve the sudden dryness of her mouth, and for a little liquid courage.  "When we got back to the barn, he started to help me down from the horse and I lost my balance.  He caught me – thankfully – but then. . ."

Rowan's eyes had gotten large as worry began to etch lines into her beautiful face.  "Did he do something he shouldn't have?  Do I need to have Steve go talk to him?  Do I need to go talk to him?  I have no problem putting him in his place, even if I am seven months pregnant."

YN couldn't contain the smile as she listened to Rowan start to rant. She'd missed her friend's fiery temper, and was glad that Rowan had always been in her corner.  She'd watched her friend's sharp tongue reduce grown men twice her size to stammering messes, and she had a feeling that Peter had probably been on the receiving end of one of her dressing downs at some point in his life.

"There's no need for anyone to get worked up," she assured Rowan.  "There was a brief moment when I thought he might kiss me, but nothing happened."

Rowan narrowed her eyes as she tried to read between the lines.  "Nothing happened as in you put your foot down and told him no, or nothing happened because you were interrupted?"

Shaking her head with a smile she replied, "We were interrupted."

"Did you want him to kiss you?" Rowan asked, trying to gauge how YN felt about Peter's continued interest in her.

YN took a deep breath before answering.  This was the question that had plagued her since the incident earlier today.  She'd have been lying if she said that she hadn't felt an inkling of desire when Peter had held her close to him, but she still wasn't sure if she was ready to jump back into the dating pool just yet.

"I honestly don't know," she finally admitted as she closed her eyes and tilted her head back in frustration.

Rowan leaned across the table and laid a hand over YN's.  "That's okay.  After what you've been through, you're allowed to be apprehensive with other men."

"Thank you," she said as she twisted her hand so that she grasp Rowan's.  "I don't want to be alone for the rest of my life – I feel like that would be letting Billy win somehow – but I also don't want to rush into something with the first guy that shows an interest in me.  I do want to clarify that I wasn't scared of Peter.  I really believe that if I had told him no, he would've backed off, but I'm just not sure if I would have stopped him if we hadn't been interrupted."

Rowan's lips drew together in a tight line.  "I hate to say this about him because he's my friend, but we all know he has a reputation for a reason, so I'm just going throw this out there.  Would it be so horrible to have a meaningless affair with him, just to help you gain back a little of your confidence?"

As Rowan asked her question, the back door opened to reveal Steve who'd obviously heard his wife's last words.  With his eyebrows raised in shock, he looked from Rowan to YN and then back to Rowan.  Shaking his head, a smile came over his face.  "I know that my opinion was neither asked for, nor does it matter, but I don't think that's such a bad idea."

"Really?" Rowan asked, a look of shock on her face.  "You'd be okay with YN using one of your best friends like that?"

Steve walked over to the fridge to grab a beer, pausing to give the potatoes boiling in a pot a quick stir before answering.  "Peter has a way of keep every dalliance of his completely casual, and every parting of the ways is amicable.  Look at Lillian – she's still his accountant isn't she?  And what about Bobbi?  They have no problem working together after their one-night stand a few years ago."

"Bobbi?" YN asked as Steve leaned down to give Rowan a short kiss.

"Don't say anything to Hunter," Rowan warned.  "It happened a long time before Hunter came to work at the ranch, and he knows about it, but it's one of those taboo subjects that everyone avoids to keep the peace."

"You realize that we're making Peter sound like a man-whore," Steve said as he pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table.  "I'm not saying he's not, but he's not a womanizer.  Every woman he's with knows the score before they hook up with him, and he never goes around bragging about who he's slept with."  His brow furrowed for a moment.  "I don't think any of us know all of the woman he's kept company with throughout the years."

"So, basically you guys are saying that he's a no-strings-attached kind of guy that won't get all clingy after a few rolls in the hay?" YN asked with a smirk.

"That's exactly what we're saying," Rowan said with a nod.  "He also has a reputation for being quite skilled, so there's always that to consider."

"You don't think it'd be out of line to have an affair with my boss?"

"Peter's not your typical boss," Steve tried to explain.  "Yes, his name is on the letterhead, and he signs the paychecks, but everyone there works together as a team.  There's no hierarchy of power – everyone pulls their own weight equally, even him.  It might seem a little unseemly, but if you're looking to get back into the dating scene without jumping into a long-term commitment, then Peter's your guy.  Just make sure you're both on the same page before you go down that road."

YN felt a sinking feeling in her gut.  "You mean I should tell him about Billy?"

"No," Steve and Rowan said simultaneously.

Steve nodded his head toward Rowan, who continued, "What Steve meant was that you should just let him know that you want to keep things casual and discreet.  There's no reason for you to tell him about your past unless you feel like he needs to know."

"I don't know," YN said, shaking her head. 

"Why don't you just tell him that you've had some bad experiences in your past, and ask him to be patient with you?" Steve asked.  "He won't push you for details, but at least he'll have a heads up if you start to get uncomfortable with something."

"That's a good idea," Rowan said, nodding her head.

YN finished off her wine and began to laugh.  "I can't believe I'm sitting in your kitchen trying to decide whether or not to have an affair with one of your friends.  I mean, we're just casually discussing this like we would be if I were thinking about buying a car."

Rowan turned to Steve and gave his bearded cheek a loving pat.  "Why don't you go get cleaned up for dinner?  I need to talk about some things that I know you don't want to be reminded of."

A stormy look passed over Steve's face.  "Mark," he said without question.  "Yeah, you're right, I don't want to be here for that."  With one final peck on Rowan's cheek, he rose from the table and made his way upstairs.

"Who's Mark?" YN asked, instantly curious.

"Mark was my best friend while I was in Seattle," Rowan explained with a wistful look in her eye.  "You know that I didn't date at all in college after Steve and I broke up, but by the time I got to med school, I was ready to put my life in Montana behind me forever.  Mark and I had an arrangement that worked out well for both of us for years."

"You mean you were friends with benefits," YN clarified with a shocked look on her face.

Rowan nodded her head as she began to remember her days of being a surgeon with Mark.  "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.  He was exactly what I needed at that point in my life, and our arrangement worked for him as well.  We both knew what the other wanted and expected, and when I decided to move back here and start over with Steve, he supported me one hundred percent.  Mark knew that I'd had a bad breakup and didn't want anything serious, but he never pressed me for more than I was willing to give.  I guess what I'm saying is that Peter is a lot like Mark, and if that's what you're looking for right now, then Peter's the guy you want.  It also doesn't hurt that he's smart, handsome, and sexy as hell."

"Rowan," YN exclaimed, her eyes growing wide in shock.  

"Hey, I'm married and pregnant, not dead," Rowan said, defending herself.  "I've never been interested in him like that, but I definitely see the appeal."  Her face grew serious again as she reached for her friend's hands.  "You don't have to make a decision tonight, or ever, for that matter, but I just want you to know that Peter is a guy you can trust not to hurt you."

YN stood and pulled Rowan to her feet so she could wrap her arms around her.  "Thank you.  Not just for the advice, but for being such a great friend."  Pulling back she looked into Rowan's eyes.  "I don't know what I'm going to do just yet, but I think I owe it to myself to make my new job my first priority and once I get to know him better, I can figure out what I want to do."

"That sounds like a plan," Rowan said as she ran her hands down YN's arms.  "I'm going to finish dinner, so you go get cleaned up too."

YN gave her one last hug and then started up the stairs to her room.  After her talk with Rowan and Steve, she couldn't get Peter off of her mind.  She'd tried so hard not to think about what happened this afternoon, but now she was finally ready to admit that she'd been disappointed when they'd been interrupted.  She had been serious when she'd told Rowan she wanted to take some time to get accustomed to her job, but she'd already made her mind up about Peter.  Now she just had to figure out a way to make sure that she was the one in control of her relationship with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 7 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! Were you disappointed that she didn't kiss Peter?  What do you think about her conversation with Steve and Rowan? Will she be able to have a causal affair with him without him finding out about her past? I look forward to your comments!_


	8. Chapter 8

YN parked the truck by Peter's office early the next morning and reached over to grab the bag of supplies she'd brought with her. After talking it over with Steve and Rowan the night before, they'd all agreed that the best possible way for her to reach Grace would be through her art. Steve had been kind enough to lend YN some drawing pads and charcoal pencils until she could make a trip into Missoula to buy some of her own. This was also her night to be on-call in case something happened with one of the kids. She'd decided to take a passive approach and let Grace see her drawing some today and hopefully the girl would be curious enough to talk to YN about her art.

Knocking on the office door, she waited until she heard Peter's invitation to enter before pushing open the door. Fixing him with a nervous smile, she gently shut the door behind her.

"We should probably talk about. . ." Peter began.

"Would you mind showing. . ." YN said at the same time.

The two of them both stopped mid-sentence and started to laugh. With a wave of his hand, Peter indicated that she should speak first.

"Sorry," she said with a smile. "I was hoping that you could show me which cabin I should use for tonight." When Peter gave her a confused look, she added, "I'm on-call with Robbie."

Peter playfully smacked his own head and started laughing. "I'm sorry, I totally forgot. You brought your own stuff?"

She nodded toward the duffle bag slung over her shoulder. "Rowan lent me some extra sheets, and I packed some essentials to get me through the night."

With a nervous smile of his own, he walked around the desk and grabbed a key off of a cork board hanging on the wall. Holding open the door for her, he said, "C'mon, I'll show you which one you'll be using while you're here."

She muttered a quick thanks and began following him toward the row of cabins. She'd told herself that she'd come early this morning so she would have time to put her things away, but she knew she really just wanted a few minutes alone with him before the kids and the rest of the staff started their day. She’d told Rowan the previous night that she wanted to wait a bit before staring something with Peter, but after a mostly sleepless night thinking about him, she realized that it would be better to just take the leap and deal with the consequences later.

He unlocked the door and flipped the switch before handing her the key. "This is the Raccoon Cabin, your new home away from home."

"The Raccoon Cabin?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

"I named all the cabins after different critters. Nat's in the Spider Cabin, Scott's in the Ant Cabin. . ."

He was interrupted when YN let out a soft scream. He saw the look of fear in her eyes and quickly turned to see what had scared her. When he saw Rocket peeking his head into the cabin, he started to laugh and picked up the raccoon for her to see.

"This is Rocket," Peter said as he brought him closer to YN. "I found him on the side of the road last fall – his mama was roadkill and he was just a baby, so I brought him home."

YN watched in amazement as the raccoon let Peter scratch his ears. Rocket's nose was twitching as he sniffed the air trying to get her scent. Hesitantly, she reached out a hand to pet his head, and was shocked to hear him start purring. "Why am I not surprised that you have a pet raccoon?"

Peter put Rocket back down and shooed him out before closing the door and turning back to YN. "What can I say? I have a soft spot for misunderstood creatures."

"So, the raccoon likes the Raccoon Cabin," YN mused. "Does that mean that Nat's cabin is infested with spiders and Scott has an ant problem?"

Peter let out a hearty laugh that had the corners of his eyes crinkling. YN had thought he was handsome before, but with every new facet of his personality that she uncovered, she found herself more and more attracted to him.

"You never did get a chance to finish what you wanted to say in the office," she reminding him, knowing exactly what he wanted to talk to her about.

His laughter died, and the nervous smile found its way back onto his face. He rubbed the back of his neck as he cautiously shot a glance in her direction. "I thought that maybe we should talk about what happened yesterday afternoon."

"You mean the kiss that _didn't_ happen," she said, feeling a little smug that he seemed so hesitant to say it out loud.

He opened his mouth to reply, but changed his mind and shut it again with a sigh. She cocked her head to the side as she tried to figure out why he was acting like this.

"I was under the impression that you had quite the reputation for being a ladies' man," she said, not the least bit ashamed that she was goading him.

His eyebrows shot sky high before he recovered enough to answer. "My reputation may be a little exaggerated." Setting a serious look on his face he continued. "I wanted to apologize for being so forward with you yesterday. I was out of line, and I promise it'll never happen again."

"Well. . .," she said, pausing for a moment to give herself time to talk herself out of what she was about to do. "I'm kinda hoping that's a promise you'll be willing to break."

Peter started nodding his head in agreement before her words had a chance to sink in. Had she just said what he thought she'd said? Before he had time to think, she had stepped closer to him and grabbed the lapels of his flannel shirt. He only had a moment to prepare himself before he felt her lips on his.

YN wasn't sure why she'd done it, but as she felt his arms wrap around her waist, she knew she was glad she had. She could have kept her distance and tried to ignore the sexual tension between them, but she was tired of playing it safe – she was tired of second guessing every single decision she made. For far too long, she'd allowed someone else to call the shots in her life, and where had that gotten her? She may be making the second biggest mistake of her life, but by God, this time, she was going to be in control, and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

Sliding her hands from his shirt up and over his shoulders, she buried her fingers in the soft curls at the nape of his neck. She lost the ability to think as she felt him start to take control of the kiss. With he nipped at her bottom lip, she let out a small gasp and felt his tongue sweep in to tangle with hers. His hands pulled her tighter against him and before she knew what was happening, she felt the smooth wood of the door against her back. 

Now that his hands weren't needed to keep her pressed against him, he lifted them to her face as he cupped the back of her neck, his thumbs grazing over the curve of her jaw. Tilting her head, he changed the angle of the kiss so he could continue to deepen it. With her mind reeling, she was finding it harder and harder to catch her breath. Sensing her breathlessness, his lips left hers and began trailing along her jaw and down her neck before he pulled away completely.

Her chest was rapidly rising and falling as she struggled to drag oxygen into her lungs. Her head had fallen back to rest against the door and it took her a moment to finally lift her lids to gaze at him. Her hands slid back down to his chest and she smiled when she realized that he was just as breathless as she was. His eyes were wide and she could see the raw desire swimming in them – desire for her. A heady sensation swept through her as she realized that she had been the one to bring him to this state. This may be a bad career move, but it was already doing wonders for her ego, so she doubted her common sense would prevail any time soon.

Giving him a sultry look, she said, "We both knew that was going to happen eventually."

He still had her pressed firmly against the door and he was idly trailing a finger along the curve of her collarbone. "I thought you said you wanted to keep our relationship strictly professional?"

She hated to kill the mood, but she'd remembered what Steve had said about setting boundaries early on and she knew that if she didn't say something now, she'd never find the courage to bring it up again. Taking a deep breath, she gently pushed against his chest. Taking the hint, he backed away and allowed her to walk across the room. 

Turning back to face him, she squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. "I don't have the best track record when it comes to men." He started to say something, but she held up a hand to stop him. "Please just let me say this. I'm not looking for anything serious, and from what I've gathered, neither are you. I'm not really ready to rush into anything just yet, so if you have a problem with taking things a little slow, then tell me now and we'll forget the last five minutes ever happened."

Peter's mind was reeling. A part of him agreed with everything she was saying, but there was a little voice in the back of mind screaming at him to tell her she was wrong about him. He'd never been insulted when a woman had suggested having a casual fling with him, so why did it bother him so much that she only wanted sex from him? He was also confused about her comment concerning her past with other men. Had he somehow picked up on that, and confused her skittishness with deception? She was being pretty honest with him now, so that had to be the reason why her behavior had made him suspicious when he'd first met her.

He thought about her request to take things slow, and normally taking things slow meant some kind of commitment – which he usually steered clear of. With her, however, he found he liked the idea of stretching out their affair. He had a feeling she wasn't the kind of woman a man could get to know easily, and for some reason he really wanted to get to know her. He knew from past experience that fooling around with someone he worked with had the potential to get ugly, but he didn't see her as the type of woman that would get clingy once the passion between them ebbed. He may be a ladies' man, but he also appreciated the friendships he had with the women in his life – especially at the ranch. He would have never made it this far with the program if it hadn't been for Nat, Wanda, and Maria. Those three women were some of his best friends, and he valued their opinions just as much, if not more, than his male friends. He was smart enough to realize that YN could offer a new perspective on his kids that had been lacking the past few years, and he wasn't willing to risk losing her as an employee just so he could get her into bed.

Making up his mind, he walked toward her and cupped her chin in his palm. Leaning in, he grazed his lips over hers. "I can do slow."

She had been shocked by his answer, and even more surprised when he continued to tease her as his lips began to softly glide over hers. She'd been expecting the same level of passion as before, so this sudden switch had her reeling. The first kiss had left her breathless with desire, but this one had her nerve endings screaming for physical contact as he continued to keep her at arm's length – his hand cupping her chin and his lips being the only part of him actually touching her. When her hands had reached out to grab a fist full of his shirt, he'd abruptly pulled away with a smirk.

"Uh uh," he said with a wink. "You wanted slow, and slow is exactly what you're going to get."

Her mouth fell open as she watched him turn away from her and walk out the door. With one seemingly innocent kiss, he'd managed to make her whole body ache with wanting. She reminded herself that she'd been the one to set the ground rules, but without any effort at all on his part, he effectively wrested control from her, and she couldn't find it in herself to be angry about it. What had she gotten herself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 8 of this story! What did you think of that kiss?  Peter seems to be conflicted about the terms of their relationship. . .do you think he subconsciously knows that he's finally met his match?  I look forward to your comments!_


	9. Chapter 9

YN had needed a few minutes alone in the cabin to compose herself before she was ready to face the rest of the staff and the kids.  She'd been so sure that she'd had Peter Quill figured out, and then he'd gone and thrown a curveball her way.  The man she'd met on Friday afternoon was not the same one that had just walked away from her.  Maybe Wanda was right and Peter was more complex than most people gave him credit for.  

Realizing that standing in the middle of the cabin thinking about Peter wasn't at all productive, she headed for the door to start her second full day at the ranch.  She hadn't really gotten a chance to find a routine yesterday since she'd spent so much of her time either in Peter's office going over paperwork, or out on the trails learning the lay of the land.  Today would be a better representation of what her time here would truly be like, and she was excited to get started.

The kids were groggily stumbling out of the main cabin toward the barn, and as she thought about Grace, a feeling of purpose rose up within her.  She hadn't felt like that since her first teaching job.  She'd always loved kids and as a child herself, had always dreamed of being a teacher once she grew up.  It had broken her heart to leave behind her first classroom when Billy had convinced her to stay at home so they could try for a child of their own.  Now she was back amongst children – children that needed a little extra love and attention – and for the first time in years, she finally felt like her life was moving in the right direction again.

"Morning, YN."

She turned around to find Robbie coming up behind her.  "Good morning, Robbie."

"I guess it's you and me with the kids tonight," he said once he caught up to her.

She nodded back toward the cabin she'd just exited.  "Yeah. Peter just showed me which cabin I'll be using while I'm here."

"Good, good," Robbie said with a huge smile.  "So, we should probably get together once the kids leave for school so we can plan what we want to make for dinner."

"That works for me."  So far, Robbie seemed like a really nice guy, but from what Nat and Wanda had told her the day before, she wouldn't have to spend too much time with him if she didn't want to.  She had debated keeping her distance simply because she was still wary of strangers, but she reminded herself that Peter did extensive background checks on his employees, so it was unlikely that Robbie had any red flags in his past that would be of concern to her.

Robbie was halfway to the barn before he turned around and snapped his fingers in her direction.  "Don't let me forget to introduce you to my little brother, Gabe.  He missed meeting you before he caught the bus yesterday morning and he went over to a friend's place after school, so he wasn't here yesterday afternoon."

This new information caught YN's interest.  Peter hadn't mentioned that Robbie had a little brother, and from the sounds of it, it seemed as though he lived here on the ranch with Robbie.  She immediately started wondering why Robbie would be the guardian of his brother, and what had happened to their parents.  She knew she could ask the other women, but for some reason she decided to wait and let Robbie tell her that story himself.

The kids were just like any other teenagers that YN had encountered during her short stint in education –  especially this early in the morning – but she had to give them credit for taking their chores seriously. Once they were finished in the barn, the stalls were clean and the horses had all been fed.  Since she didn't need to go back to Peter's office for anymore paperwork, she followed the rest of the crew back to the main cabin to start preparations for breakfast.

She was in the middle of mixing up a bowl of pancake batter when Peter walked in the door.  She'd done a pretty good job of keeping her emotions in check while they'd been in the barn, but they had been on opposite ends of the building.  The distance between them hadn't stopped her from reliving that kiss over and over again in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to pick up where they'd left off.  Now that they were both in a somewhat small, and well-lit room, it was going to be hard to avoid one another, and even harder to keep anyone else from noticing the tension between them.

YN saw him pause in the in the entryway to the kitchen, and wondered if he was having the same thoughts about her that she was having about him.  She knew she'd told him that she wanted to take things slow, but at this rate, the anticipation of getting her hands on him was going to kill her.  Feeling the heat rise up within her, she turned her back to him, but she could still feel his gaze boring into her.  So caught up in her wanton thoughts, she wasn't prepared for the hand that settled firmly on her shoulder.

"Oh," she said with a start as the bowl of batter clattered loudly on the counter once it had slipped through her fingers.

"I'm sorry," Robbie said with a pained look on his face.  "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," she told him as she laid a hand over her racing heart.  "I was lost in my thoughts and didn't see you walk up beside me."

"The bus is going to be here soon," Robbie began to explain, "and Gabe really wanted to meet you."

Maria offered to finish the pancake batter and YN handed over the bowl before she began to follow Robbie out of the cabin.  The kids were all starting to exit their rooms with their book bags and hoodies, and a few of them told her goodbye before they hurried along so as to not miss the bus.  YN was searching through the faces of the kids, looking for one that she didn't recognize when Robbie lightly placed a hand on her elbow and nodded back toward the employees' cabins.  When she turned around and saw Gabe for the first time, she truly hoped that the shock coursing through her system wasn't evident on her face for Robbie to see.

"Hi, I'm Gabe," he said with a huge smile, reminiscent of his brother's, as he reached a hand up toward her from where he sat in his wheelchair. 

Silently praying that she wouldn't make a fool of herself, she plastered a smile on her face and took his hand.  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Gabe."

Gabe narrowed his eyes and gave her a long stare before letting go of her hand.  "Do you know how to make lasagna?  No one around here knows how and the only time I get any is when Robbie takes me to Cathedral Café."

She'd been worried for a moment when he'd given her such a hard stare, but now that she knew his true intent, the smile on her face became genuine and she felt like she had a handle on the situation again.  "As a matter of fact, I do.  Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?  I can throw one together this afternoon if you are."

Gabe's mouth began to water just thinking about homemade lasagna.  Turning to his brother, he gave him a nod.  "I like her.  She's going to be a perfect fit around here."

"Is that so?" Robbie asked with a laugh.  "I'm so glad she gets your seal of approval."

YN wasn't sure what Gabe's story was, but she'd decided that she liked him as well.  Despite the wheelchair, he seemed to be just like any other teenager she'd ever met.  She was curious about the circumstances that caused his disability, but she wasn't comfortable enough with anyone on staff to pry just yet.

"I'm inviting Peter and Ned over for dinner tonight," Gabe told Robbie as the bus pulled up at the end of the drive.  "They're going to be so excited to find out we're having lasagna."

With a final wave, Gabe smiled and headed toward the bus.  YN watched as the back door opened and the specialized lift descended to allow Gabe's wheelchair to be raised into the bus.  She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she was pleased to see the kids from the ranch laughing and joking with Gabe as the doors closed and the bus began driving back down the drive.

"I'm a little confused," YN began.

"I figured you would be," Robbie interrupted with a laugh.  "Gabe was talking about his friend Peter Parker, not our Peter.  It gets confusing at times, but what can you do?"  

YN shrugged her shoulders and let out a sigh.

"We should probably head into town to pick up what we need for you to make the lasagna," Robbie suggested as they began walking back to the main cabin to finish making breakfast.

"So," YN said as he held the door open for her.  "If I'm making the lasagna, what will you be contributing to dinner?"

"I may not be the world's greatest cook, but I can throw together a decent salad and make some killer garlic bread."

When Robbie suggested that he drive them into town after the breakfast staff meeting, YN had a small moment of panic.  She reminded herself again that both Peter and Sam had run background checks on everyone that worked here, and that she was going to have to learn to trust people again if she was ever going to rebuild her life.  Swallowing her doubts, she followed him to the shiny black 1969 Dodge Charger sitting in the staff parking lot.

Trailing a hand over the curves of the car, her eyes met his.  "This is a beautiful car.  Does it still run as well as it looks?"

Robbie laid a hand on the roof and let out a deep sigh.  "This car has a history, let me tell you."  He opened the passenger side door and waited for her to take a seat before walking around to the other side and sliding behind the wheel.  With a roar, the engine rumbled to life and he put the car into gear.  

"This car actually belonged to my Uncle Eli," Robbie began once he'd started down the drive.  "He pretty much raised me and Gabe after our parents died."

"What happened to him?" YN asked, not really sure she should be asking.

"He and Gabe were driving me up to Missoula my sophomore year of college when we were run off the road by a drunk driver.  Eli was killed instantly and Gabe's spinal cord was crushed.  I ended up in the hospital for a few weeks with a broken femur and a nasty concussion.  To make a long story short, once I got out of the hospital, I quit school and got a job with Peter at the ranch so I would be granted custody of Gabe.  I'm sure you've heard about Peter's history with the foster system.  I wasn't the least bit qualified to work at the ranch, but he couldn't stand the thought of Gabe going into the system, especially with his disability.  I owe that man everything.  He even helped me rebuild this car in the afternoons while the kids were in school."

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," Robbie told her as he shot a quick glance her way.  "I'm not the only one with a story – Peter has a tendency of picking up strays that need a second chance."

YN nodded, but didn't say anything.  She couldn't help but think that maybe Peter had sensed something in her, and that's why he'd been so willing to give her a job.  Either that, or Sam's background check had revealed her entire history and he actually knew about her troubled past.  A sinking feeling settled in her gut, and for a moment she wondered if she should go ahead and tell him before things between became too complicated.

She was still debating with herself when Robbie pulled into a parking spot on the Main Street of Thousand Oaks.  Forcing herself back into the present, she looked out the window at the store he'd parked in front of.  "Parker's Hardware? I thought we were going to the grocery store?"

Robbie looked up at the building as though he was seeing it for the first time.  "Another interesting story.  I guess it was about ten years ago that Old Stan decided that he wanted to retire – Stan used to own the grocery store on the other side of town.  Anyway, Ben and May Parker decided to buy him out, but they didn't want to own two buildings, so they moved the grocery store into their hardware store.  They'd intended to change the name to Parker's Grocery and Hardware, but then Ben died unexpectedly from a heart attack and May just never got around to it."

"That sounds like a story you'd only hear about in a small town," YN said with a laugh.  

Robbie gave a shrug as he got out of the car.  "Even if they'd changed the name, people would’ve never caught on – it'd still be Parker's Hardware, so they probably saved themselves a lot of money."

 

YN was sitting outside on the porch drawing when the kids came home from school.  She'd spent a good bit of the afternoon making the lasagna and it was currently in the fridge waiting to go in the oven later that evening.  Robbie had introduced her to Peter's aunt May and explained how the expense account worked – any groceries bought for the kids were charged to the ranch and Peter paid the bill at the end of the month.  It was a lot simpler than trying to keep track of a credit card.  

Robbie had also taken the time to introduce her to some other members of the town that happened to be in the Hardware store.  She'd met the town lawyer, Tony Stark, who also happened to be Wanda and Nat's father.  He was an incorrigible flirt, but after meeting Peter and Wade, she was becoming accustomed to the men in this town taking notice of her.  It was mostly innocent, at least in the case of Wade and Tony.  As for Peter. . .  Her mind went back to the kiss they'd shared this morning and she could feel the desire begin to rise up within her again.  Peter's interest in her wasn't the least bit innocent, but then again, neither was her interest in him.

As the kids made their way to their rooms to change, the rest of the staff began heading to the barn.  Peter reminded the kids that they had ten minutes to put away their things and change before they were due in the barn to muck the stalls again.  He saw YN sitting on the porch with a drawing pad and pencil and anxiously waited to see what Grace would do.  A few of the kids said hello to YN as they passed, but Grace kept her head down without meeting YN's eyes.  Peter had a moment of disappointment until he saw Grace glance back over YN's shoulder to look at the drawing she'd been working on.  He saw the young girl's eyes brighten for a moment and he held his breath in anticipation.  When Grace dropped her head and kept on walking, he let out a sigh.  At least she'd taken an interest, so that was more progress than any of them had been able to make in three weeks.

"You didn't tell me you drew," Peter said as he leaned against the porch railing and crossed his arms over his chest.

YN glanced down at the sketch she'd been working on.  "It's been years, so it's not any good. . ."

As her sentence trailed off, Peter waited to see if she would say more, but she just shrugged her shoulders and continued to draw.  "It was good enough to grab Grace's attention."

YN's head shot up in surprise.  "What?  She didn't even look at me as she walked past."

"I saw her glance over your shoulder before she walked into the cabin," Peter explained with a grin.  "She didn't know I was watching her, but you should’ve seen the look in her eye when she saw your drawing.  You may be on to something there."

Putting the piece of charcoal back into its container, she left the sketchbook open to the page she was working on and stood up.  "I think I'm going to leave this on the kitchen counter then.  Maybe she'll take a better look when she's sure no one's around.  Who knows, she might even ask me about it?"

Peter glanced around quickly to make sure that no one was watching before grabbing YN's hand to stop her from going into the cabin.  When she turned around, he thought he saw a trace of fear behind the surprised look in her eyes.  Rubbing his thumb along the palm of her hand, he watched as her expression turned sultry.  "I can't stop thinking about this morning."

Her lips parted and it took all of his willpower to stop himself from pulling her into his arms and finishing what they'd started this morning.  Thankfully, the kids chose that moment to rush out the door, or he might have forgotten the agreement they'd made to take things slow.  Quickly dropping her hand, he turned and walked with the kids toward the barn.  He sneaked a glance over his shoulder to see YN slipping back into the cabin to lay her sketchbook on the kitchen counter for Grace to find later that afternoon.  She hadn't gotten a chance to say anything after his declaration, and he couldn't help but wonder if she'd been as affected by that kiss as he had.

 

As YN readied for bed, her mind began to go over the events of the day.  So much had happened in such a short amount of time, it was hard to believe that it had all occurred in one day.  She'd tried to keep her mind off of the kiss she'd shared with Peter in this very cabin not even eighteen hours ago, but it had proven to be impossible.  Every time she'd seen him, she'd remembered the way his body had felt pressed against hers, and the heat of his mouth as he'd kissed her senseless before his lips had left a trail of fire down her neck.  

Even now, she could feel her body start to awaken and that dull ache within her reminded her that she was a woman – a woman with needs that hadn't been met in far too long.  She'd been proud of herself for keeping a level head all day long, and then he'd sent her into a tailspin with his admission on the porch.  After that, she'd barely been able to think straight, and for the life of her, she didn't know how she'd made it through the rest of the evening with the kids.  It had seemed like every look he'd given her, every word he'd spoken, had been rife with innuendo that no one had been privy to except for them.  

As she collapsed onto her freshly made bed, she groaned in frustration.  Why on earth did she have to tell him that she'd wanted to take things slow?  It had seemed like the prudent decision to make this morning, but now she was mentally kicking herself for being so stupid.  Punching her pillow, she rolled over onto her side and willed herself to fall asleep, but her mind refused to shut down for the night.  Giving up, she allowed her imagination to run wild as she imagined what else that talented mouth of his could do.  She was so lost in her fantasy that she didn't hear the knock on the door at first, but when it came again, she bolted upright in bed and stared at the door in disbelief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 9 of this story!  What did you think of Robbie and Gabe?  Again, they are some of my Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. characters, but I've always loved Ghost Rider!  She's starting to have second thoughts about taking things slowly with Peter. . .how long do you think she's going to be able to hold out?  Do you think that she's making progress with Grace?  Sorry about the cliffhanger, but you know how much I love my cliffhangers!!  So, who's at the door???  I look forward to your comments!_


	10. Chapter 10

YN stared at the door, sure that she was imagining things.  Hesitantly, she slid out from beneath the covers and switched on the bedside lamp before quietly tiptoeing over to the door.  Why was she tiptoeing?  The two cabins on either side of her were far enough away that no one would have heard her footsteps on the hardwood floors.  Shaking her head, she forced herself to walk normally.  As she neared the door, her heart began to pound in her ears and a sudden burst of nervousness made her stomach start to roll.  A part of her hoped that it was Peter, if only to satisfy the ache deep within her that had continued to gnaw at her the longer she allowed her mind to play out the various fantasies she'd been imagining.  Another part of her was terrified that it was him because she still wasn't sure she was mentally ready to take that leap, no matter how willing her body seemed to be at the moment.

Cautiously opening the door, she peeked out.  When she saw who was standing on the other side, an annoyed look replaced the hesitant one and she opened the door all of the way.  "Rowan, what on earth are you doing here?  And at this hour?"

Rowan held up a brown paper bag and gave YN a conspiratorial grin.  "I brought ice cream."

Those words were all it took to get YN to step aside and sweep her hand back toward the bedroom in  tactic invitation.  "Did you bring my favorite?"

"Well, since it still happens to be my favorite," Rowan said with a smirk, "I did.  I even brought spoons since I wasn't sure if Peter's cabins included cutlery."

YN followed Rowan to the bed and took the bag from her friend so she could prop a pillow up against the headboard to support her back.  With a groan, Rowan managed to hoist herself into the bed and crisscross her legs.  YN waited until she was situated before sitting beside her and opening up the bag.

"No bowls?"

Rowan gave her a look.  "Like this quart of ice cream isn't going to disappear in the next ten minutes?"

"Good point," YN said as she grabbed a spoon and flipped off the lid.

The two women didn't say anything for a few minutes, but they were hardly silent.  Moans of pleasure echoed throughout the room as they began to eat the delectable treat.  YN hadn't indulged herself like this in years.  Billy had always made snide comments about her figure, and after a while, she had cut out eating any sweets lest she gain too much weight and displease him yet again.  Now, however, she felt no guilt at eating half a quart of her favorite dessert in one sitting – especially since she was doing it with her best friend just like they'd done back in college.

"So, what brought this on?" YN asked once she'd devoured her half of the ice cream.

Rowan licked the last scoop off of her spoon before taking YN's and putting the trash back into the paper bag.  "I wanted to do this last night after your first official day, but you seemed too tired."

"I was exhausted yesterday.  And sore."

"And yet you weren't asleep yet?" 

YN took a moment to think about what she wanted to say next.  She knew she wanted to tell Rowan about her kiss with Peter that morning, but if she started with that topic, she'd never get around to the other things that had happened that day, and she was in the mood to share.  Deciding to save the best for last, she started telling Rowan about Robbie, and Gabe, and the trip to the hardware store.

"It was a busy day," YN began with a wistful smile on her face.  "But it was also a great day.  I got to spend some time with Robbie, and in the process I learned a little more about Peter."

"Ah," Rowan said, completely understanding what YN was talking about.  "Robbie is a great guy.  He really stepped up with his brother after the car accident that killed his uncle.  If it weren't for Peter giving him a job and going to bat for him with the family court judge, I'm not sure that Robbie would have been able to get guardianship of his brother.  This is exactly what Steve and I were talking about – Peter is a wonderful person with a heart of gold. . .he just never lets anyone get close to him."

"That's the impression I got as well," YN agreed.  "I know I'm no psychologist, but I have a feeling his years in the foster system are the reason why he's such a playboy.  I mean, it's obvious that he's capable of long-term commitment – just look at this place and the fact that most of his employees are some of his life-long friends."

"It's easy to love your friends," Rowan said, nodding her head.  "And even the kids to some degree.  Romantic relationships are a different story altogether.  When you choose to love someone – really love someone – you take a huge risk with your heart.  Peter knows that these kids are only here temporarily, and eventually they'll either go back home, or age out of the system.  Either way, he's prepared himself for them to leave."  She paused for a moment as she thought about something else.  "I guess that's even true of his friends.  We all parted ways after high school, and there was no guarantee that we would all move back here.  If I had to wager a guess, Peter had been preparing himself for that possibly long before any of us ever thought of what we wanted to do with our lives."

"I'm glad you agree with me," YN said, feeling a little more secure in her impression of the man.  "A part of me feels sorry for him, but then I realize that he and I are in the same boat.  Neither of us have ever had a healthy relationship, and at this point in our lives, I don't know if it'll ever be possible."

Rowan's eyes began to fill with tears.  "Oh, honey, you can't think like that.  Trust me.  If you remember, I felt the same way after Steve and I broke up, and that's part of the reason I had the relationship with Mark that I did.  Once I came back here I tried to make Steve fit into the role Mark had played in my life, but it never really stuck.  When it's love, real love, you'll know the difference."

"Peter seems to have closed himself off to the idea of falling in love."

"But you haven't," Rowan interrupted.  "You said so yourself last night that you don't want to be alone for the rest of your life.  It might not happen for a while, but eventually you're going to meet someone that will bring the light back into your life, and you'll be so full of love you won't be able to deny it."

YN leaned her head over to rest on Rowan's shoulder.  "I needed this more than I can ever tell you."

"Me too,"Rowan said as she rubbed a hand up and down YN's arm.  "So, tell me what else happened today."

Setting a lighter tone, YN told Rowan about meeting Gabe and getting roped into making homemade lasagna for the kids, as well as Gabe's friends, Peter and Ned.  

"Pete's a good kid," Rowan said once YN had finished telling her about the kids devouring two pans of lasagna.  "He's a little awkward because he's so smart, but he's always willing to help out when someone needs him.  That was one of the reasons why I was glad Gabe stayed here with Robbie – it would've devastated Gabe to have to leave behind two of his closest friends."

"I can tell that the three boys are really close," YN agreed, "but I don't think that's why Peter and Ned hang out here so much."

Rowan's brows drew together in question.  "Really?  What do you know that I don't know?"

"Nothing concrete," YN said with a grin, "but I think it has something to do with Michelle."

"Wait."  Rowan raised a hand and closed her eyes as she tried to picture the girl in her mind.  "Which one is she again?"

"Moody, a bit sullen, and extremely sarcastic," YN said, trying to help Rowan figure out which girl she was talking about.

Rowan snapped her fingers.  "I know which one she is.  She's hilarious, but I just can't see her and Pete together – she'd eat him alive."

"My thoughts exactly," YN agreed with a laugh.  "It was quite comical to watch the little guy try to talk to her at dinner tonight.  He and Ned kept trying to tell her about the Lego Death Star they were building, but the look on her face screamed 'losers.'  I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.  Poor kid."

"Pete's not one to let a little discouragement get him down, though."

YN nodded her head in agreement.  "That's what I've gathered as well.  Robbie also took me to the hardware store to buy groceries for dinner tonight.  I got a chance to meet May, and Robbie filled me in on that whole story on the way back to the ranch."

A wave of sadness fell over Rowan's features.  "Pete has lived a hard live in fifteen short years, but thankfully, he's had May to help him through."

"About May," YN said with a twinkle in her eye.  "What's going on with her and Mr. Stark?"

"Tony?  And May?" Rowan asked, her brows drawing together in confusion. 

"He seems like a bigger flirt than Peter. . .Quill that is, not Parker."

Burying her face into her hand, Rowan let out a small groan.  "Please tell me he didn't hit on you, too?  I swear, the men in this town aren't all hound dogs – they're just too friendly for their own good."

YN started to laugh.  "He flirted, but it was completely innocent.  And anyway, he was too busy flirting with May to really pay me too much attention.  Hence, why I asked what was going on between them."

Rowan thought for a moment.  "Tony and his ex-wife were college sweethearts, but she just wasn't cut out to live in the country.  She stuck around to help raise Nat and Wanda, but the minute they graduated, she left Tony and moved back to Missoula.  I've always gotten the impression that Tony was still in love with her.  I mean, sure, he's had his fair share of flings throughout the years, but nothing serious.  May isn't the type of woman that's interested in a one-night stand, so that's why I'm a bit confused."

"Maybe I misread the situation," YN said with a shrug.  

"Maybe," Rowan agreed before changing the subject.  "So, did you have a chance to talk to Grace?"

A bubble of hope filled YN's heart as she thought about what had happened just before dinner tonight.  "Yes and no.  I positioned myself on the front porch with the drawing pad Steve gave me right before the kids got home from school.  I had originally thought that Grace hadn't paid any attention to me, but Peter told me after she'd passed me, she'd peeked over my shoulder to see what I was drawing.  I left the sketch pad on the kitchen counter while we went riding and when I came in to finish dinner, I caught her flipping through the pages.  Thankfully, I'd had a little bit of time after the trip into town to sketch a few things.  She didn't notice me watching her, but I've at least caught her interest.  I want her to be the one to approach me, so I'm going to give her some time and wait until she feels comfortable talking to me."

"Sounds like a good plan," Rowan agreed.  "So, you mentioned that Peter was with you on the porch.  That's really the first time you've mentioned talking to him today.  Tell me, did you spend the whole day avoiding him, or was he avoiding you?"

"There was no avoidance," YN hedged, wanting to savor her friend's surprise when she learned what YN had done that morning.

"And?" Rowan was starting to get impatient.

"And I decided that I was tired of playing it safe," YN said, her voice full of confidence as she remembered the way she'd grabbed Peter's shirt and pulled him close to her that morning.  Just the thought of his hard body pressed firmly against hers had a rush a heat flooding her system again.

"What did you do?" Rowan asked as her eyes grew wide.

"I kissed him."

Rowan held up a hand so YN would pause for a moment.  She was having a hard time imagining her friend doing something like that.  Well, if she were being honest with herself, grabbing a guy and kissing him out of the blue was something _Nina_ would have done in college, but that carefree girl seemed to have been long gone after the years of abuse at the hands of Billy Russo.  The woman sitting next to her  - the one that had changed her name and her entire appearance to move halfway across the country – didn't seem capable of doing something so outlandish.  Rowan couldn't help the surge of pride that welled up within her.  Billy may have held her friend under his thumb, but he hadn't been able to break her completely.  Rowan was glad that YN had chosen to seek her out, and she just hoped that she and Steve – and Peter, she admittedly to herself grudgingly – was just what YN needed to put the past few years behind her and work on rebuilding her life.

Finally prepared to hear the rest of the story, Rowan lowered her hand as a huge grin spread across her face.  "Okay, spill it.  I've only ever heard rumors – is he as good of a kisser as everyone claims?"

YN closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall behind her as she thought about the way he'd effortlessly wrested control of the kiss away from her, and how she'd willingly – even eagerly – allowed his mouth to take possession of hers until she hadn't been able to form a coherent thought.  She hadn't intended to let her memory take her that far into the experience, so when she let out a small moan and Rowan jabbed her in the ribs, her eyes flew open and her breath came out in a squeak.

"I guess that answers my question," Rowan said with a laugh.

"I can't even begin to explain how amazing it was," YN told her as she tried to even out her breathing again.  "Before I even knew what had happened, he had my back against the door and every inch of him was pressed into me, and that mouth. . .well, let's just say that his reputation is well-earned and every rumor you've ever heard is true."

Rowan shook her head in awe.  "Wow.  I'm surprised you didn't jump his bones right then and there."

"I wanted to, believe me," YN said with a longing sigh.  "But I remembered what Steve said last night and I knew I owed it to Peter to at least be a little forthcoming with my past."

A guarded expression came over Rowan's features.  "What did you tell him?"

"Just that I'd gotten out of a really bad relationship and that I needed to take things slow."

"And how did Peter take that?"

With frustration evident in her voice, YN answered.  "To my surprise, he seemed to be all for it."

"Peter?" Rowan asked in disbelief.  "Peter Quill was okay with taking things slow?  Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," YN said with a shrug.  "He told me – and I quote – 'I can do slow.'  Then he leaned in and kissed me again, but it wasn't like the first kiss.  This one was almost chaste and verged a bit on the taunting side.  To be honest, the second kiss left me more frustrated than the first – I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all day."

"Okay," Rowan said, sounding relieved.  "That sounds more like Peter."

"What do you mean?"

"He may have said he was willing to take things slow, but don't believe for one second that he's not going to use every trick in the book to get you to be the one to make the first move," Rowan explained with a knowing look on her face.

"So, you're saying he plans to tease me until I finally crack under the pressure."

Rowan nodded her head with a smirk.  "Yep.  The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

"Right before you showed up, I was toying with the idea of throwing slow out the window, but now, I think I might change my mind.  I'm back in control of this situation, and it feels good to know that I have all the power.  Two can play this game, and I think I've got him beat when it comes to patience, so it'll be fun to watch him squirm."

Rowan couldn't help the giddy sensation that was bubbling up within her, but at the same time she was a bit wary.  "Are you sure it's a good idea to play games with him?  I just don't want to see you get hurt."

YN's expression immediately sobered as she laid a hand over her friend's.  "I know you're only looking out for me, and I appreciate it more than I can say, but right now I feel more alive than I have in years.  We both know Peter and I will end up in bed eventually, but half the fun of sex is the anticipation, and I deserve to have all the fun I can get."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 10 of this story!  Where you upset that it was Rowan at the door? I love the friendship between her and the Reader, so it was fun to develop that a bit further. We got a little insight into their friendship in college, and some of YN’s personality before Billy. I know that we still have a little bit of a wait before Tony’s story, but I thought I’d lay a little groundwork for that one! (͡° ͜ʖ ͡ ) What do you think is up with him and May?? I will admit that this part took a turn I wasn’t expecting, but I’ve found that if a story is leading you one way, then you need to go with the flow. The Reader seems to have gained back some of her confidence, and I’m not sure Peter’s going to know what hit him once she turns the tables on him? Who do you think is going to crack first, and will her past end up causing them problems before they can finally get together?  I look forward to your comments!_


	11. Chapter 11

_YN felt a presence behind her as she entered the barn.  She'd been unable to sleep and had decided to get an early start on her day.  Heading to the empty barn at four-thirty in the morning probably wasn't the smartest decision she'd made in a while, but she'd felt so at ease and safe at Blackwater Falls that she hadn't really thought twice about the consequences she might face at being caught alone and unprepared._

_Nova had seemed happy to see her and had greedily snatched the apple from her hand when she'd offered it to her.  YN had been content to watch the horse giddily toss her mane as she loudly chomped on the early morning treat.  It hadn't been until the horse stilled and her ears had perked up that YN realized she wasn't alone._

_Fear gripped her heart as she stood frozen in place.  She desperately wanted to run, but it was as though her brain had stopped communicating with the rest of her body and no matter how hard she tried to move, her feet refused to obey.  She felt a trickle of cold sweat drip down the back of her neck as she heard the muffled footsteps growing closer to her.  Looking into the eyes of the horse, she expected to see the same fear reflected in the large, brown irises, but Nova actually looked at peace with this turn of events.  How could the horse stay so calm when there was someone else in the barn that shouldn't be?  Weren't animals supposed to sense danger before humans, or something like that?_

_A hand reached out and grazed over YN's hip just as she realized why the horse didn't seem concerned about the other person in the barn – she knew who it was.  The fear dissipated in an instant as the broad, calloused hand slipped under the hem of her shirt and the nimble fingers began grazing over the sensitive skin of her bare abdomen._

_Peter._

_As her terror subsided, it was replaced with a wanton desire that had her senses reeling from the sudden change.  If anything, her emotions were harder for her to contain after going from one extreme to the other in such a short period of time.  Without a word of protest, she gave in to all temptation and allowed him to do as he pleased._

_She wasn't disappointed._

_The pressure of the hand on her stomach increased and she willingly allowed him to pull her backward so that her back was firmly pressed against the solid wall of his chest.  His legs were slightly spread and her hips fit snuggly in the space between them, the evidence of his desire for her straining between them.  As he pulled her tightly against him, his other hand slid up her arm and over her neck to gently cup her chin.  Knowing what he wanted, she began to turn her head as his lips began to graze over her jaw before finally capturing hers in a fiery kiss that threatened to consume her._

_With nothing else to hold onto, she reached behind her and grasped his thighs as he began to deepen the kiss.  The hand on her chin began to slide back down her neck as the other one slid up along her ribs.  With one quick motion, he spun her around and had her back against the stall door before she could offer a word of protest – not that she was the least bit inclined to do so.  Now that she had access to more of him, she wasted no time in taking advantage.  Her hands slipped under his shirt and she let out a throaty moan as she finally got her hands on his bare skin.  He was both soft and hard at the same time, and the contrast did nothing but excite her even further.  She felt the hard muscles contracting under her gentle caress and she marveled at the smooth, suppleness of the skin not covered with a thin layer of hair._

_His hands were just as busy as hers as he began to slowly pop the buttons of her flannel work shirt.  Her chest was heaving from both the lack of oxygen and the lust-fueled endorphins coursing through her veins.  As his mouth left hers to begin exploring the flushed skin he'd just exposed, she gasped for breath.  The sudden influx of oxygen had her mind spinning even more than it already was, but even though she was enjoying every second of being in Peter's arms, there was a part of her that was screaming at her to slow down._

_"What happened to taking things slow?" she managed to ask a bit breathlessly, her eyes still squeezed shut as she tried to tame the raging hormones wreaking havoc on her senses._

_He stopped what he was doing and leaned in close to whisper in her ear.  "What's the matter, baby? You used to like it fast and hard."_

_Her eyes flew open as terror once again gripped her heart. It wasn't Peter caging her against the stall door, but Billy. How had she not known?  How had she not recognized the feel of his hands on her skin?  With a shudder of revulsion, she shoved hard on his chest and with a smirk he allowed her to slip out of the hold he'd had on her. With her heart pounding, she ran from the barn into the total darkness of a morning just before dawn._

_Without thinking, she began running towards the woods, but she could hear his wicked laugh, taunting her as she tried to get away. Every time she chanced a glance over her shoulder, he was right behind her. No matter how fast, or how far she ran, he was always just a few steps behind her._

_Thin branches whipped across her cheeks as she ran through the thick copse of trees.  The biting sting of sharp wood against her flushed skin managed to keep her alert and running when all she wanted to do was collapse onto the ground in exhaustion.  In addition to the branches, there were also briars that snaked across the path and they threatened to trip her with every step she took.  It seemed as though the woods themselves were against her and the trees and bushes were trying to impede her progress so Billy might finally catch up to her._

_As she rounded another turn, her mind screamed at her that something wasn't right. She felt like she'd been running for hours, and rivulets of sweat were running into her eyes, temporarily blinding her, but Billy seemed tireless as he slowly stalked her through the trees. She was out of breath, and tears had begun to mix with the sweat, but she was determined to get away from him. Shooting a look over her shoulder, she was relieved to see that he was no longer behind her, but before she could turn around again, she ran headlong into a hard, muscular body._

_Hands like steel vices gripped her arms, his fingers digging into her flesh hard enough that bruises were sure to form in a matter of minutes. Her momentum caused her body to come to a stop, flush against him, and he took advantage of the situation by keeping her pressed tightly against his own body._

_"Did you really think I would ever let you go, baby?" Billy sneered, a look of pure hatred distorting the features of his face.  "You'll pay for running away from me."_

_He roughly shoved her against a tree as his hands let go of her arms to wrap around her throat.  As his fingers squeezed tighter and tighter, her lungs began to burn.  She clawed at his hands, digging into his flesh and drawing blood, but his grip never wavered.  Her vision began to grow darker as convulsions began to rack her body._

 

"YN.  YN, please wake up," Rowan begged as she shook her friend.  She'd been awakened by YN's screams and had immediately turned on the bedside lamp thinking that someone had broken into the cabin.  Within seconds, Rowan realized that it wasn't an intruder that had YN so terrified, but her own mind.

YN was in the throes of a horrible nightmare and Rowan had been trying to wake her for what seemed like ages, but YN's mind was locked in the dream and nothing Rowan tried could rouse her.   YN was covered in sweat as her hands tried to claw at Rowan's face.  Rowan was able to grab her hands before she could inflict any damage, but it still wasn't enough to draw YN out of her subconscious torture.

Not knowing what else to do, Rowan gripped YN's wrists tightly in her own and screamed her name - her real name.  "Nina!"

With a start, YN's eyes flew open and she immediately began to sob.  Rowan helped YN to sit as she cradled her friend's head against her shoulder and began to rub her back.  Whispering soothing words, she rocked back and forth, trying desperately to help YN calm down from the nightmare.  She wasn't sure how long the two of them stayed that way, but eventually YN's tears subsided and her breathing returned to normal.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rowan asked as YN pulled away and began to dry her eyes with the hem of her t-shirt.

"No," YN said.  "But I probably should."  She gave a small laugh as she shook her head.  "I thought I was doing so well, but I guess I was just fooling myself."

"Was it Billy?"

"Yes," YN answered with a shudder.  "But not at first.  In the beginning it was Peter.  I was dreaming about that move you told me all the guys do, even though they don't realize they all do it."

"The one where they come up behind you and slip one hand under your shirt and then turn your head to kiss you?" Rowan asked, thinking back to that morning when Steve had pulled that exact move on her – her distended belly forcing his hand to slip a little lower than usual.  She loved that even though she was tired and cranky from Sarah sleeping on her bladder the past week, Steve still saw her as a desirable woman and not just the incubator for his baby.

YN let her mind focus on the beginning of the dream.  That was the part she wanted to commit to memory – the rest of it she was hoping to forget once she shared it with Rowan.  She didn't want any part of Billy, even a nightmare version of him – to warp her feelings toward Peter.  Even though her mind was still trying to sort through the images she remembered, she was certain of one thing – it had been Peter at the beginning.  She knew her ex-husband well enough to be able to tell the difference between the two men physically, and there was no doubt in her mind that the man she'd been kissing had been Peter.  It wasn't until she'd voiced her concerns about moving too fast that her mind had switched out Peter for Billy.  

Not wanting to dwell on why her subconscious saw fit to ruin a perfectly good dream, she began to tell Rowan more about the nightmare portion.  "It was a good dream at first.  In fact, it was shaping up to be an awesome dream, but then it all went to hell.  One second Peter was about to rip my clothes off and the next Billy was there whispering crude innuendos into my ear.  I started running, but I could never seem to get away from him."  She took a deep breath as she remembered what came next.  "I thought I'd finally outrun him, but he suddenly appeared in front of me.  He shoved me against a tree and began to choke me. . ."

Rowan immediately pulled YN back into her arms.  "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," YN told her as she allowed herself to be comforted.  "It's not my fault either.  This is all Billy's fault, but I will not let him to continue to ruin my life."

Rowan pulled back and looked at her friend questionably in the dim light.  "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm not going to let this nightmare deter me from doing exactly what and who I want," YN said with a steely conviction in her voice.

Rowan had just been about to caution her friend about going forth with her plans to seduce Peter, but seeing the resolve on YN's face instantly changed Rowan's mind.  YN needed to go through with their plan from the night before more than ever.  Billy had crept in while YN had been sleeping and his torturous memory was desperately trying to keep YN from moving on, but she was too strong to allow him to have any more control over her.   Rowan felt a surge of pride as a smile spread across her face.  With a nod of encouragement, she flipped off the light and the two women lay back down to try to get a few more hours of sleep before YN had to get up for work.

 

YN had awoken early, just like she had in the dream, but she refused to let her fear keep her hidden safely away in her cabin with Rowan.  As she quietly dressed in the darkened room, she imagined that each article of clothing was like a piece of armor.  The battle she was preparing for wasn't a physical one, but rather a war within her own mind.  If she backed down now, she'd never again find the courage to move forward in her quest for independence.

Walking into the barn was more stressful than she'd thought it was going to be.  Her legs were shaking as she scanned the shadows, certain that Billy was hiding in each one just waiting to pounce.  Once she was at Nova's stall stroking the horse's sleek neck, she finally started to feel at ease again.  

"You're up early."

The sound of his voice had YN's heart slamming against her chest.  With one hand over her heart, she forced herself to turn around and glare at Peter.  "Scare a girl half to death, why don't you?"

With both hands raised in surrender, Peter actually looked a little intimidated by her tone.  "My bad.  Making a mental note right now – never sneak up on YN."

Her mind immediately went back to the pleasurable portion of her dream and she realized that she may never get to experience that sexy move Rowan had told her about if he thought surprising her was off limits.  With a seductive look in her eyes, she sauntered up to him and slipped her fingers through the belt loops of his jeans.  With a gentle tug, she pulled him close to her and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I don't hate all surprises – you just need to work on your delivery."

She pulled back and watched as desire began to cloud his eyes.  A surge of pride swelled within her as she realized that she could bring him to this state with nothing more than a thinly veiled innuendo.  She'd been worried that she'd lost all of her ability to flirt and tease, but from Peter's reaction, she was pretty certain she still knew how to play the game.

When his hands reached out to grab her, she let go of him and backed away with a smirk.  "Uh-uh.  We're taking thing slow, remember?"

Peter started to say something, but before he could utter a word, his mouth snapped shut.  He cocked his head and studied her as his eyes narrowed.  "So, that's how it's going to be?"

The smirk on her face threatened to turn into a full-fledged smile, but she resisted the urge.  "You said you were okay with taking things slow.  Have you changed your mind?"

The words fell from her lips like honey, but Peter wasn't fooled by her sweet talk – he recognized a challenge when he saw one.  He'd thought he'd had her just where he wanted her yesterday, but now he realized that the tables had been turned on him.  He wanted to be mad, but he just couldn't find it in him to get angry at this turn of events.  If anything, the stakes had just risen and it was his turn to call or fold.  Deciding to call her bluff and see where things headed from here, he nodded his head and moved toward her.

She saw him coming and part of her felt the need to move out of his way, but she refused to budge.  He was hoping that she would move, if only to prove that he still held the upper hand in their little game.  As he neared, he leaned over brushed one hand down the length of her neck as he whispered in her ear.

"I know you want me," he taunted.  "And I'm willing to bet you'll cave long before I do."

His breath tickled the sensitive skin just under her ear, and it sent shivers throughout her body.  Her fingers itched to touch him like she had in her dream the night before, but she balled her fists tightly to resist the urge as she turned to meet his gaze.  "You have an extremely high opinion of yourself.  There's no doubt in my mind that you'll be the one begging in the end."

He gave her an appraising look.  "How about we make this a little more interesting?"

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 11 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! Were you surprised when Billy showed up in the dream? It was a mean thing to do, but it helped her to see that she needs to keep fighting to be free of him. What did you think of her conversation with Peter at the end? What do you think the stakes are going to be for their little wager?  I look forward to your comments!_


	12. Chapter 12

Peter pretended to think for a minute, but it was just a ruse so that he could stay close to her for a few moments longer. Feigning a sudden realization, he cocked his head to the side and gave her a flirty wink. "I'm thinking that the loser should have to indulge the winner's most erotic fantasy."

She had been expecting him to suggest that the loser had to muck out the stalls for a week, or some other unwanted chore, so she was shocked by his proposal. Once her initial surprise subsided, her mind immediately went back to the dream she'd had the night before. What she wouldn't give to have that scenario play out in real life.

Deciding that she could live with the terms of the bet, she let a sultry smile slowly turn the corners of her lips as she extended a hand toward him. "Deal."

He looked down and her outstretched hand and scoffed. "Uh-uh. No handshakes. This deal needs to be sealed with a kiss."

"Is that so?" she asked as her hands began sliding up his chest to rest along the back of his neck.

His fingers dug into her hips as he tugged her closer to him, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that sent flames of desire throughout her entire body. Her fingers teased the curls at the base of his neck as she playfully battled with him for control of the kiss. He tried to turn her so her back was against a stall, but she was ready for that move, and using his own momentum against him, she continued to turn until he was pinned between her and the wooden door behind him. She could tell the instant he decided to give into her, and she felt of rush of self-confidence she hadn't felt in years. 

She knew she was playing with fire, but the power of having absolute control over him was going to her head and she couldn't stop herself. The kiss seemed to go on forever as her hands began to roam over the muscles she'd dreamt of the night before. He was content to keep his hands on her hips, but the way his thumbs had slipped under the hem of her shirt to slide over her hipbones was slowly driving her crazy.

Finally gaining control of herself, she gradually started to pull away, lightly nipping his bottom lip before putting a few feet of distance between them. "Ready to go ahead and give in?" She looked down at her watch for a moment before meeting his lust-filled gaze. "We don't have time to finish out my fantasy, but I can take a rain check for later tonight?"

He was about to cave, if only to get her back in his arms again, but his competitive nature kicked in at the last second. "Give in? Not today, baby." He gave her a cocky smirk as he straightened up from leaning against the stall door. 

The second the term of endearment left his lips, she felt her whole body tense up. Why'd he have to go and use the one pet name that made her skin crawl? Desperately trying not to allow Billy's memory to ruin what had started out to be a phenomenal morning, she squeezed her eyes shut and took a few more steps back to catch her breath.

"Say any other cute nickname you like, but please don't ever call me 'baby' again."

His lighthearted attitude fell away in an instant as he saw how deeply affected she was by his poor choice in words. He hadn't known she would react that way, but if he had, he would've never used that particular word. He enjoyed teasing and having fun as much as the next guy, but he also knew where to draw the line. Concern for her outweighed his desire and he reached out a hand toward her in comfort, but she recoiled from his touch.

"I'm sorry," she said as she opened her eyes and gave him an apologetic look.

He drew back his hand and buried both of them in the pockets of his blue jeans to make himself seem less threatening. "I'm guessing this has something to do with that bad relationship you were telling me about yesterday morning."

"I never said. . ." 

"You didn't have to," he interrupted with a shrug. "I can read between the lines – you don't have a great track record with guys, you want to take things slow, you don't like people sneaking up on you, and you hate being called 'baby.' Sounds to me like he was a first class a-hole."

"You have no idea," she said with a quiet huff. "But he's in the past, and I really don't want to talk about him. Why don't we just pretend. . ."

"No," he interrupted again, earning a disapproving glare from her. "You obviously have some baggage." He held up a hand to stop her when she started to protest. "I'm not judging, sweetheart. Can I call you sweetheart?" He paused long enough for her to answer and when she nodded, he continued. "I understand baggage – everyone here has their own trunk-full – but we all know each other's stories so we can avoid any unnecessary drama. I get that you may not want to share with everyone else yet, but if we're going to keep going down the road we're on, you've got to trust me enough to tell me the truth."

She started to answer, but the rest of the staff started filing into the barn with the kids, so she snapped her mouth shut. She knew he was right, but she dreaded the moment when he stopped looking at her like a woman and saw her as a victim instead. Knowing that it was unfair to keep putting him in a position where he had to constantly question his every word and action, she silently nodded and turned back to Nova's stall to start her day.

"Tonight," he softly called after her. "Once we get back from the evening ride, come over to the main house and we'll have dinner. You can tell me everything then."

She glanced back over her shoulder, and was shocked to see the sincerity in his eyes. Gone was the teasing, flirty look from a few minutes ago, and she was once again amazed at how two opposing personalities could exist in one man. He gave her a somber nod and started walking back to Ego's stall on the other side of the barn. As she watched him go, she realized that although she dreaded telling him her whole sordid past, she was also glad that it would finally be out in the open. She'd felt like she'd been lying to him since the day she met him, and while it shouldn't have bothered her to be less than honest with a stranger, she'd slowly come to the conclusion that she was starting to trust him and she wanted him to trust her as well.

Hating that her past had ruined a perfectly good morning, she buried her insecurities and focused on taking care of Nova. Mucking out a stall wasn't a task that required a lot of thought on her part, so she spent her time in the barn going over how she wanted to broach the topic of Billy with Peter. Did he really need to know all the dirty details? Who was she kidding? Of course he needed to know. If she was serious about going to bed with him, he needed to know just about everything Billy had put her though so he wouldn't inadvertently stumble into a situation that triggered her anxiety. This meaningless affair just became a lot more serious than she'd originally anticipated, but for some reason she wanted to see it through – if only to prove to herself that she could.

As they all followed the kids back to the main cabin, YN spotted Rowan walking toward her. Her friend looked well-rested and ready to start her day and YN was glad she'd made a point to seek her out to say goodbye.

Rowan pulled YN into a hug. "I had fun last night."

"Me too," YN told her as she held on for just a little longer.

Pulling away to get a better look at her friend, Rowan's eyes narrowed. "Something happened this morning, didn't it?"

"Okay, mom," YN muttered in a teasing tone.

"I'm serious."

YN's gaze automatically went to Peter and she wasn't the least bit surprised to see him eyeing her and Rowan suspiciously. "I can't talk about it now. . ."

"Meet me for lunch," Rowan interrupted as she shot a quick glance in Peter's direction. "Cathedral Café at eleven?"

YN nodded her agreement and Rowan gave her one last hug before heading toward her car, stopping briefly to say hello to the rest of her friends. She felt like a weight had been lifted off of her. Rowan would be the perfect person to help her figure out what and how to tell Peter so she didn't screw things up completely.

Peter had told her on her first day that she was exempt from morning duties since she'd pulled a night shift, but none of the kids had needed her, so she decided to head to the main house for breakfast. She figured she'd need all of the distractions she could muster in order to make it through the day.

 

The morning had gone better than she'd anticipated, but YN was still glad to leave the ranch so she could meet Rowan for lunch. Finding an empty spot on Main Street, she parked the truck and headed up the stairs to the Café. It was too late for the breakfast crowd, and the lunch rush hadn't started yet, so the place was almost empty. She waved at Happy and Stan sitting at the counter and headed toward one of the two-seater tables in the back corner. She figured she and Rowan would need some semblance of privacy for the conversation they were about to have.

Rowan arrived a few minutes after YN had sat down, and made her way across the bare hardwood floors to where she was seated. "How was your morning?"

"Not too bad," Rowan said as she took a seat. "It's mostly just seasonal allergies this time of year. I'll be glad when the pollen dies down and people can get some relief from their watery eyes and running noses."

YN smiled and nodded her agreement. "The joys of being a small town doctor." 

Rowan took a deep breath and began rubbing circles over her belly. "I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world." 

Elena came over to get their drinks and since they both already knew what they wanted to eat, they gave her their lunch order as well so they could get straight to the reason why they were here. Rowan waited for Elena to walk away before giving YN a questioning look.

"Okay," YN said with a sigh. "Where to begin? I woke up early, just like in my dream, so I made myself get up and head to the barn. I guess I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't scared. I'm not sure if Peter saw me, or if he was already heading to the barn, but he snuck up on me and scared me half to death."

Rowan made a little noise as she grimaced. "I bet that wasn't fun for you."

"It really wasn't that bad," she said with a shrug. "Things took a turn and we ended up in a hot and heavy make-out session. . ."

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Rowan interrupted as she leaned forward to hear a little better. "I want details. Between work and my baby bump, Steve and I don't have much of sex life these days, so I need to live vicariously through you."

YN let out a laugh and just like that, all of the tensions from the morning were gone as she began gossiping with her best friend. She told Rowan about the bet, and the unusual stakes Peter had set. Then she'd given her a play-by-play rundown of the steamy kiss which had Rowan's eyes going wide with shock.

"Okay," Rowan said after YN had finished that part of the story. "I'm confused. You seemed a little upset, but that doesn't sound upsetting at all – in fact, it's making me want to head home, shove Steve up against a stall door, and take advantage of him."

YN shook her head with a laugh. "That part was wonderful. It was what came next that had me out of sorts." She took a deep breath as her smile faded. "He called me 'baby.'"

Finally understanding YN's dismay, Rowan let out a sigh and gave her friend a sad smile. "That's what you said Billy called you, right?"

"Yep," YN confirmed with an angry look. "I shouldn't have let it get to me, but my emotions were already riding high from the kiss and I just shut down. Peter realized he'd struck a nerve and called me on it. I tried to play it off, but he's insisting that I tell him the whole story tonight over dinner at his place." She paused to gauge Rowan's reaction, but her friend's face was unreadable. "What do you think? Do I tell him everything?"

Rowan pursed her lips and considered YN's question for a moment before answering. "I think you're going to have to, sweetie. Between the nightmare and what happened this morning, I think you're going to have to be straight with him. That is, unless you decide to call off the whole thing right now."

YN had considered that possibility as well, and she'd told herself that it would be like giving up if she didn't follow through with this affair, but deep down she knew it was more than that. She was attracted to Peter, and not just because he was a good-looking man with a body like a god, but because he genuinely cared about people – because he seemed to genuinely care about her.

"I'm not calling it off," she finally said. "There's been a part of me that's been wondering if he already knew my history anyway. I was naïve to think that I could keep my past a secret from everyone forever. The sooner the truth comes out, the less guilty I'll feel for lying to all these wonderful people that have accepted me as one of their own."

Rowan let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you see it that way. I was worried you'd think you were being backed into a corner and I really wanted you to make this decision on your own terms."

"I feel like this is going to be a good thing," YN said with more confidence than she'd felt this morning. 

Rowan nodded her head in agreement, but she could tell there was still something bothering her friend. Taking a guess, she asked, "Are you scared Peter might lose interest if he knows the truth?"

"Geez, woman, am I an open book today?" YN asked with feigned annoyance.

"To me, yes," Rowan quickly assured her. "But that's only because I know you so well. I'm sure if you'd been here when I first came home, you would've smacked me upside the head and yelled at me for being so pigheaded when it came to Steve."

YN thought about it for a second and then nodded with a huge grin. "Oh yeah. I would've loved to be here to see the fireworks between you two. I may have just sat back and enjoyed the show, though."

"No you wouldn't've."

"No, I wouldn't've." YN reluctantly agreed. "It would have driven me crazy to watch you two idiots try to deny the love you have for each other. But I bet your other friends were about to kill you two."

Rowan closed her eyes and laughed as she remembered the awkwardness in the group while she and Steve had been on the outs. "Did I tell you Bucky offered to be my booty call so I wouldn't break Steve's heart?"

"NO," YN exclaimed loudly before covering her mouth abashedly. "Please tell me you didn't."

"No," Rowan said with a quick shake of her head. "Bucky is like a brother to me, so that was never going to happen. Ironically, Kieran overheard that proposal and I'm pretty sure that's what finally spurred her into finally making a move on him herself."

"You do realize your life is like a soap opera, don't you?"

"Hence the reason Teaghan is writing a book about my life." Rowan shook her head with a laugh before getting serious again. "Anyway, about Peter. I wish I could tell you for certain that your past won't be a problem for him, but I just don't know for sure. All I can tell you is – be completely honest, but don't feel like you have to tell him all the sordid details. You might need to give him some time to process it all before he's ready to decide one way or other."

"I know you're right, but it doesn't really help with my anxiety," YN admitted as she shook her head. "Why do I feel like this affair means more than my marriage did?"

"Because what you have with Peter is real – even if it's only physical attraction – whereas what you had with Billy never was."

Rowan's words hit home, but something still didn't feel right. "What if it's more than physical attraction?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 12 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! What do you think of the terms of their bet??  Did you enjoy the steamy kiss that followed?  Too bad I had to go and throw a wrench in things again, but we all knew Peter would figure it out eventually.  How do you think dinner is going to go?  Do you think Rowan's right and he'll need some time to figure things out?  I look forward to your comments!_


	13. Chapter 13

YN had gone back to the ranch after her lunch with Rowan still feeling apprehensive about her "date" with Peter that evening.  Rowan's insight into both her marriage and her situation with Peter had forced her to take a step back and reevaluate her whole life.  Looking back on her entire relationship with Billy, she realized that she had never truly loved him, she'd only been looking for someone to take that next step with in her life.  She didn't really blame her family for pushing her into a relationship with him, but it had been so much easier to go home for the holidays and have them smile and say they were proud of her for finding someone to settle down with.  She should've been strong enough to not allow their opinions about her life sway her decisions.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts from her mind as she tidied up the cabin she would be using while she worked at the ranch.  It didn't do anyone any good to dwell on the past – she'd made her decisions and she would have to live with them for the rest of her life.  She just hoped that the decision she was making today didn't turn out to be another mistake for her to regret later on.

As she made up the bed, she did a mental tally of the ways in which Peter was different than Billy.  It didn't take her long to realize that the two men shared nothing in common.  Peter was kind and caring whereas Billy had been cruel and manipulative.  Peter was willing to listen to her and take her feelings into account, but Billy always had to have his way whether or not she felt comfortable with his decisions.  Basically, Peter was everything Billy wanted people to believe he was, but could never be.  She may be rushing things by putting her trust in him so soon, but from what she knew of his character, she didn't think it was a mistake.

Finally satisfied with both the state of the cabin, and her decision to tell Peter the truth, she walked out onto the small porch feeling a sense of peace she hadn't felt since the day she'd finally had the courage to walk away from Billy.  As the sun shone warm upon her face, she looked up at the endless Montana sky, and just like there were no clouds to hide the sun, soon there would be no more secrets for her to hide behind as well.

 

The beautiful weather of the afternoon extended well into the evening, which made the ride with the kids after school that much more enjoyable.  Peter had decided to take them all out to the falls so the ones that wanted to could swim for a bit.  She hadn't been prepared for that possibility, so she hadn't packed a swimsuit, but it didn't really bother her that much.  This would give her a chance to sit off on the sidelines and sketch.  

When they'd gotten to the falls, some of the staff started setting up pop-up tents for the kids and staff to change their clothes.  YN could tell that this was something they'd done before since it was so efficiently accomplished in such a short amount of time.  Since Gabe couldn't ride a horse, he'd been allowed to drive the specially modified side-by-side equipped with hand controls that had held the tents and refreshments.  She'd been tasked to help unload the coolers full of water, soda, and some light snacks for the kids and staff.

When the first girls began to exit the tent, she was shocked to see them wearing the same swim trunks and t-shirts as the boys were wearing.  She could see the strings from their regular swimwear peeking out the backs of their collars, but it impressed her nonetheless that Peter insisted that they all be dressed the same while they swam.  She'd chaperoned enough field trips to the pool to see the double standard girls were held to when it came to revealing swimwear – all too often the boys were allowed to run around shirtless while the girls were forced to wear baggy t-shirts to preserve their modesty. 

"It keeps the drama from getting out of hand," Nat said when she'd noticed YN eyeing the identical swimwear the kids were wearing.

YN turned to speak, but drew up short when she noticed Nat and some of the other staff members wearing the same trunks and t-shirts.  "He really has thought of everything, hasn't he?"

"You can't give Peter all the credit for this one," Wanda piped in as she passed by them.  "This was all our idea."

"Yep," Maria agree with a knowing nod.  "We actually had to fight Peter on this one point, but he eventually admitted that our idea was fair for both the kids and for us.  Plus, it makes it easier to decide what to wear."

"I wouldn't complain if we switched to uniforms period," Bobbi chimed in once she'd exited the staff changing tent.  "I get not making the kids wear uniforms to school since it would make them stand out, but it wouldn't be that bad of an idea for the staff."

"Bobbi was in the military," Robbie explained with an eye roll before he took off running to do a cannon ball into the pool of water at the base of the falls.

"I'm not suggesting that everyone wears a military uniform," Bobbi told YN with a shake of her head.  "I just think a shirt with ranch's logo would be nice.  Maybe a jacket for the summer and a coat for the winter."

"That's not a bad idea," YN agreed earning her a few eye rolls from some of the other staff members.  "It would be great advertisement for the ranch when you were out in public with the kids somewhere.  Plus, it'll make it easier for the kids to spot you when you take them to Missoula for a day trip.  You guys are planning one soon, right?"

"Now that makes sense," Peter said, startling them all as he rounded one of the pop-up tents.  "Bobbi, I know you've been pushing for uniforms for a while, so you can thank YN for helping you make your point.  I'll do some research and hopefully have something ordered in time for us to wear at the end of the month."

Bobbi did a little butt wiggle that had the others groaning, but YN couldn't help but wonder if Peter had only agreed to the idea because of what was going on between them.  She would have to ask him about it this evening, if only to double check that he really did think it was a good idea and not just doing it to get on her good side.

Once everyone was changed, YN was left by herself on the rocks a few yards away from the small pool.  They looked like they were having fun, so she would have to remember to bring a swimsuit with her the next day to leave in her cabin.  She didn't feel like she was missing out today, though.  She'd noticed that Grace hadn't changed into a pair of swim trunks and was currently sitting under a tree not too far away from where YN was.  She was hoping that everyone else would be too busy to pay attention to either of them and perhaps the girl would be curious enough about YN's drawing to come talk to her.

 

Nat waited until Peter got out of the pool to grab something to drink before she cornered him.  "So, what's going on with you and YN?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said giving her a feigned look of confusion.

"Don't play dumb with me," she told him with a smirk.  "It doesn't suit you.  I've seen the way the two of you have been looking at each other for the past two days."

Peter went for an appalled look, hoping to throw Nat off the scent.  "Pfft.  We're not 'looking' at each other – she's the new girl, so I'm just keeping an eye on her."

Nat's smirk deepened even further.  "You've been keeping an eye on her alright, but it's mostly been to gawk at her backside."

Letting out a huff, he knew he'd never convince her there wasn't something going on.  The best he could do would be to confide in her and swear her to secrecy.  That would still mean that Wanda, Maria, and the rest of their group of friends would know before the end of the day, but at least half of his staff wouldn't know that he was about to have a fling with the newest employee.

"Okay, fine," he admitted in a stage whisper.  "She's an attractive, single woman, and I'm an attractive, single man.  I see no problem with the two of us getting to know one another a little better."

Nat narrowed her eyes.  "That's not the problem and you know it.  You and Sam aren't the only ones that did a background check on her." She held up a hand to stop him from interrupting.  "I saw the way the two of you were whispering the day Bucky proposed to Kieran.  You're suspicious of her, and I'm suspicious of everyone."

Peter shrugged and nodded his head in agreement before giving her a conspiratorial look.  "What did you find?"

"I'm assuming the same thing you two found – nothing."

"I may have stumbled upon something this morning," he admitted as he cast a nervous glance over his shoulder to make sure YN wasn't watching the two of them talk.  He felt guilty discussing her with Nat, but he reasoned with himself that he only had the kids' best interests at heart.  

"Oh, I'm sure you stumbled upon something," Nat teased with a wink.

His eyebrows did a little dance as he answered.  "There was that, but I'm serious.  She's got a history that she doesn't really want anyone to know about.  She admitted that she'd just gotten out of a bad relationship, she's a bit hesitant to rush into anything with me, she almost had a heart attack when I came into the barn this morning, and she froze up when I accidentally called her 'baby.'"

Nat looked over her shoulder at YN, but the other woman was oblivious to her scrutiny.  YN was engrossed in the drawing she was working on of the falls and probably hadn't even noticed that she and Peter weren't in the pool with everyone else.  Nat had thought she was a bit skittish, but had chalked it up to moving to a new town and starting a new job with a bunch of strangers.  Now she wasn't so sure.

She turned back to Peter and eyed him warily.  "Why are you still pursuing her then?"

Peter looked offended by her question.  "What's that supposed to mean?"

"C'mon," she said with an eye roll.  "You don't do complicated relationships and this woman has all the warning signs you usually steer clear of.  What is it about her that's keeping you interested?"

"You mean other than the fact she's beautiful, smart, and the past two mornings I've started my day with some of the steamiest make-out sessions I've had in a while?"

"I get that," Nat agreed.  "But I don't peg her as the kind of woman that's into meaningless affairs.  She's more like the settle-down-and-get-married type of woman, which is completely not your type."

"Maybe you're wrong about her," Peter suggested lamely, not really liking the points Nat was making.  Now that she'd brought it up, he realized that she was absolutely right, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he didn't care.  He enjoyed being with YN and nothing was going to stop him from seeing, whatever it was that was between them, through to the end.

Nat gave him a long look before her eyes grew wide.  "Oh, my God.  You're falling for her, aren't you."

"No," he said with an appalled look as he drew out the word to exaggerate his point.

Nat shook her head and started to laugh.  "This is perfect, just perfect.  Peter Quill has finally met the woman that's going to be his downfall."

"Now listen here," Peter began, but Nat stopped him by grabbing his arm and shushing him.

"Look," she ordered as she nodded over her shoulder.  "Do you see what I see?"

Peter looked to where she indicated and watched in awe as Grace hesitantly walked to where YN was sitting with her sketch pad.  The two of them stood perfectly still, their breath held in anticipation, as Grace sat down next to YN.  They couldn't hear what they were saying to one another, but the fact that Grace was speaking to anyone, let alone being the one to initiate the conversation, was cause enough for celebration.

"I don't know about you," Nat whispered after a few moments, "but I might've just fallen in love with her myself." 

 

YN had been caught up in her drawing of the falls, so she didn't hear Grace approaching until she'd sat down right beside her.  She tried to hide her surprise as she looked over at the girl and smiled.  She waited for a moment to see if Grace would speak to her, and when she didn't she continued her drawing.

"How do you do that?" Grace asked hesitantly.

YN looked back towards her in confusion.  "How do I do what, Grace?"

Grace pointed toward one section of YN's drawing.  "The shading right there."  She held up her own drawing for YN too see her own attempts at shading around the base of the falls to make it appear as though light was reflecting off the water.

"Oh, that," she said finally understanding.  She flipped to a blank page in her sketchbook and began to demonstrate the technique.  

Grace watched her intently and then turned to a blank page in her book to experiment.  YN had noticed a few more areas that Grace could use some help on, so she continued to demonstrate different techniques and before she knew what had happened, the two of them were showing one another the rest of the drawings in their sketchbooks.

When the kids started to exit the pool to get ready to leave, Grace smiled weakly and quickly scurried away before someone noticed that she was talking to YN.  She tried not to feel offended that Grace didn't want anyone to see them talking, but she understood.  When you live with someone who criticizes your every move, you try to blend into the background as much as possible so they won't have any ammunition to use against you later.  Grace may not be in an abusive home any longer, but old habits were hard to get over.

YN closed her sketchbook and placed it back in the satchel she'd worn on the ride to the falls.  She dusted off the back of her pants and went to help the staff take down the tents and pack up the coolers once everyone had finished changing back into their regular clothes.  She was glad that Grace had sought her out, but her joy at finding a way to get the girl to open up was dampened by the prospect of talking to Peter tonight.  The closer it came to dinnertime, the more nervous she became.

 

Time seemed to fly by once they'd made it back to the barn.  The horses had been groomed and fed while Bobbi and Hunter had gone back to the main cabin to put the finishing touches on dinner for the kids.  The rest of the staff broke off into groups as they headed off to find their own dinner.  A few of them had asked her to join them, but she'd made up excuses and headed back to the cabin to freshen up.

She spent a long time staring at her reflection in the mirror after she'd taken a shower.  The image staring back at her was distorted from the steamy condensation she'd hastily wiped away with the edge of her towel, and she couldn't help but think that it was a better representation of how she'd felt about herself while she'd been married to Billy.  For far too long, she'd been living in a blur, the once-crisp edges of her personality dulled from years of verbal abuse.  As the air began to cool, the glass slowly cleared and gradually she could start to make out the image of the woman she wanted to be again.

With a sense of courage that had shocked her, she grabbed her overnight bag and headed toward the truck.  She knew she didn't have to hide her actions from anyone, but it would be easier to park behind the main house out of view of anyone who drove by.  Eventually, everyone on staff would know about the two of them – if Peter was even still interested after he learned her story – and the kids would probably pick up on it as well.  She'd always heard that there were no secrets in a small town, but she was tired of secrets.  It was time the world knew who she really was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 13 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! Were you surprised that Nat had been digging up information on the Reader? What did you think of Nat’s assessment of Peter’s feelings toward the Reader? Do you think Peter’s going to end up balking at the idea of falling in love and settling down, or will it be the Reader who doesn’t want to take another risk with a playboy?  I look forward to your comments!_


	14. Chapter 14

She'd never seen the back of the house before, but she wasn't surprised that it was just as beautiful as the front.  There was a large back deck that looked out toward the mountains in the distance.  A thick line of pines kept the deck concealed from the rest of the ranch, and she wondered if Peter had planted them there years ago to give himself a some privacy, or if they'd always been there.  

Peter had told her to use the backdoor, so she walked up the short flight of steps that led from the driveway to the deck and anxiously walked across the wooden boards.  As she got closer, she could see through the window of the storm door into the house beyond.  Feeling uncomfortable just waltzing into his house, she rapped lightly on the metal frame before rubbing her palms against her denim covered thighs.

When Peter's face appeared behind the glass, his mouth turned up in a smile.  "Hey."

"Hi," she said, a bit hesitantly as she walked through the door he held open for her.  Once she was across the threshold, she tried to remember the layout from when she'd been there for poker night on Friday.  The dining room and living room were separated from the kitchen by a long counter that ran almost the length of the kitchen and to her left was Peter's Man Cave where the poker game had been held.

"This is my humble abode," Peter said with a sweeping arc of his arm before he remembered.  "Sorry, you've been here before."

She could tell that he was as nervous as she was, and for some reason that comforted her.  "It's okay, a lot has happened since then."

"True," he agreed with a nod.  "I guess I can give you the official tour if you'd like."  He waited for a moment and when she nodded, he continued awkwardly.  "This is my kitchen – where I cook."

"You cook?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

His mouth fell open in feigned shock.  Striding over to the oven, he pulled down the door and did his best Vanna White impression.  Adopting a thick French accent he told her, "For dinner, we will be have the pot of roast with seasoned baby carrots and quartered potatoes."

His over-the-top antics had her shaking her head and rolling her eyes, but secretly she was charmed.  Bending down, she peered into the oven to see a covered roasting pan sitting on the oven rack and was impressed that he'd gone to the trouble to actually cook for her.

He closed the door to the oven and motioned for her to walk back toward the front of the house.  "I assumed that since you made lasagna last night that you ate beef.  I hope pot roast is okay.  It's one of only three meals I know how to cook."

"What are the other two?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Spaghetti and chicken pot pie," he answered, a little proud of himself.

She spotted a loaf of French bread artfully sliced and arranged on the table beside an open bottle of wine.  "Did you bake that bread yourself?"

He gave her a questioning look.  "Would you believe me if I said yes?"

"No," she said with a laugh.

Appreciating her honestly, he nodded once.  "I ran into town and picked it up at the Cathedral Café this afternoon." 

"So, you can cook a few decent meals, but you're no baker," she said with a smirk.  "What about burgers and steak?  Don't all men know how to make those?"

He let out a deep breath and shook his head in disappointment.  "That's grillin', darlin'. Grillin' and cooking are two totally different things."

"I see," she said with a smile and a solemn nod of her head.

"Anyway, back to the tour." He walked to the middle of the room and held out his arms as he turned a slow circle.  "This is what we call the 'great room,' but it's only great when I'm in it.  The rest of the time it's just the living room."

She could tell he was trying to ease the tension between them with his cocky sense of humor, and she was grateful.  She knew if she'd been able to pick up on his nerves that he was most assuredly aware of her own uneasiness.  Laughing at his corny jokes not only helped him, but her as well.

Following him through the house she had to admit that she was impressed with his home.  The furniture was masculine, yet stylish, and the rooms were all neat and clean – even the bathrooms.  They both had a moment of awkwardness when he came to the master bedroom, and they both tacitly agreed not to enter, but to stand in the hallway and look in through the open door.

"Well," he said with a clap of his hands.  "That's all I got."

"You have a lovely home, Peter," she told him as they headed back downstairs to the kitchen.

He walked over to the table, grabbed the bottle of wine, and began pouring some of the dark red liquid into the glasses that were beside each place setting.  She'd only given the table a cursory glance as they passed, so she'd missed the crisp white tablecloth and tall, thin taper candles in crystal holders.  Once he'd handed her a glass, he struck a match from the small book that had been laying on the table and lit both candles.

"You didn't have to go to all this trouble," she told him as she sipped the Merlot he'd given her.  "I would have been okay with pizza."

His eyebrows raised in mock horror.  "I haven't had pizza on a first date since I was in high school.  Just what kind of man do you take me for?"

Her mouth suddenly went dry as her brain tried to process the words he'd just spoken.  When he'd suggested they have dinner tonight, she'd never imagined that he would consider this evening a date.  Was she reading too much into his statement?

"We don't have to call it a date if you don't want to," he told her when he noticed the deer-in-the-headlights look in her eye.

She swallowed hard and squared her shoulders.  She had made up her mind and she was going to see this through.  "No, it's fine.  You've gone to a lot of trouble to make this evening nice, and anyway, it's time."

He wanted to press her for answers, but he could tell that she was a bit shaken so he held off.  With an easy smile, he pulled out a chair and waited for her to take a seat before heading back into the kitchen to finish dinner.  "Sit for a minute and drink your wine.  Dinner is ready, I just need to take it out of the oven."

"Are you sure I can't help?" she asked, not used to having someone wait on her.

"Positive," he said with a wink as he headed back into the kitchen.  Knowing that he'd made her nervous again, he kept up a steady stream of small talk while he plated the roast and spooned the potatoes and carrots into a serving bowl.  "What were you and Grace talking about today at the falls?"

A huge smile spread across her face as she remembered the conversation she'd had with the shy girl.  "She was asking me about a drawing technique.  It wasn't a long conversation, but she was the one that sought me out, so I consider that progress."

"Absolutely," he agreed as he brought the food to the table.  "That's the most anyone's been able to get out of her since she came here.  That alone is cause for celebration."

He raised his glass of wine and waited for her to lightly tap hers to his.  They both took a sip before he began to cut the roast and place some on each of their plates.  She reached for the bowl of vegetables and began spooning some onto her plate before passing it on to him.  

She'd been skeptical when she'd seen that he'd actually cooked dinner himself, but once she tasted that first bite of roast beef, all of her doubts vanished in an instant.  "This is amazing."

A wide grin spread across his face. "Thank you."

As they ate, they talked about her first few days at the ranch and how she was getting along with the kids and the other staff members.  She knew he was trying to ease her tension before they got to the real reason he'd asked her over for dinner, and she was thankful that he wasn't being pushy about the subject.

"I did have a question I wanted to ask you," she said, finally working up the courage to bring up the issue of the staff uniforms.

"I'm an open book," he told her with a goofy grin.

"Today at the falls," she began, not really sure how to phrase her question.  "Bobbi said that she's been trying to get you to implement a uniform policy for a while. . .I guess I'm asking. . .well. . .I'm not really sure how to. . ."

"You want to know if I caved because you thought it was a good idea," he finished for her, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Yes," she said, thankful that he'd figured out where she was going with her question.

"Promise you won't tell Bobbi?"  he asked.  When she nodded, he continued.  "I had Steve make a design about a month ago and the uniforms have already been ordered."

"Why didn't you tell Bobbi that?" she asked as her mouth fell open in shock.

He shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin.  "Because it's more fun to watch her fume at me for being pigheaded."

She shook her head and changed the subject.  When they'd finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, he'd suggested they take their wine out to the back deck to watch the sunset.  The heat of the afternoon had dissipated once the sun had begun its decent toward the western horizon, and the evening had a pleasant warmth that was ideal for sitting outside.

"So," he began awkwardly, drawing out the word.  "I'm going to go ahead and assume you know all about my history."

She hadn't been expecting him to mention his own troubled past, so she could do nothing but gape at him in surprise. She tried to find something to say, but he shook his head and waved off any reply she might have attempted to make.

"It's not a big deal," he said with a shrug.  "Everyone here knows me and knows what my life was like before Yondu took me in.  There are times when I wish people didn't look at me and see the kid I used to be, but there's nothing I can do about it now."  He looked down at his glass of wine and twisted the stem between his fingers.  "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I understand the need to have people see you for the person you are today and not the person you used to be.  I obviously don't know what your story is, but I just want you to know that whatever you tell me tonight won't change the way I feel about you."

She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she did her best to blink them away before he noticed.  Staring down at her lap, she let her mind process his words.  Looking back up, she met his gaze.  "And how do you feel about me?"

His eyes darkened a bit as he let himself remember the way it had felt to have her in his arms – the soft warmth of her body pressed against his as the passion between them had threatened to overtake them.  "I want you."

Those three words had an ache forming deep within her, and she wasn't sure if it was the wine or the way he was looking at her, but she had begun to feel a little lightheaded.  She wanted nothing more than to end this conversation and drag him back up to the king-sized bed he'd shown her earlier in the evening, but she knew he was right about her needing to trust him.

She took another sip of her wine and closed her eyes.  She'd decided after her lunch with Rowan that he didn't need to know every single detail of her life with Billy, but there were some details that she felt she needed to share with him.  Glancing over at him, she saw the patience in his eyes as he waited for her speak.  She wanted to be strong enough to look him in the eye as she told him her story, but she hadn't even been able to do that with Rowan, so she knew there was no way she'd make it through the whole messy ordeal with him.  Her fingers nervously played with the glass of wine and she watched the red liquid swirl round in circles as she tipped it one way and then the other.  Focusing on that, she began to speak.

"My name isn't YN," she admitted softly.

He'd promised himself that he wouldn't interrupt, but the first words out of her mouth had him reeling.  "What?"

Still refusing to meet his gaze, she explained.  "I won't bore you with all of the details, but I used to be married.  I changed my name after the divorce. . ."

"I understand a woman changing her last name after a divorce," he interrupted, "but I don't think I've ever heard of someone changing their entire name."

She glanced toward him out of the corner of her eye, fully expecting him to be angry, but the only emotion on his face was confusion.  "It was an ugly divorce – hell, it was an ugly marriage."

"He put his hands on you," Peter said, not bothering to phrase it as a question.  Everything was starting to click into place for him now, and he was finding it difficult to hold the reins on his temper.  Most people assumed that because he preferred to have a different woman warming his sheets every other week that he had no respect for the opposite sex, but that was the furthest thing from the truth.  He loved women, and not just sexually.  He loved the way their minds worked and how they could come at a problem in a completely different way than he would – it was the reason why he consulted Nat, Wanda, and Maria on just about every decision he made at the ranch.  When he found out that a man was mistreating a woman, it did something to him.  He figured it had something to do with the fact that his own father had bailed on him and his mom before he'd ever been born and then hadn't bothered to try to contact him in all the years since his mother had died.  

"Not at first," she said with a sigh. 

"Did he rape you?" Peter asked through clenched teeth, his hands balled into fists as the righteous anger within him began to build.

She closed her eyes and dropped her head.  Everyone had told her that what Billy had done to her those last few weeks of her marriage was rape, but it was hard for her to accept.  She'd always imagined rape to be violent and painful, but since she'd never told him no, he'd had no reason to be violent with her.  Looking back on it now, she could admit that if she'd offered the least little bit of resistance to his advances, his abuse would have turned physical a whole lot sooner than it had.  She'd silently endured it – all the while hating every second – simply because she'd hoped that one day she would have a baby and then it would have all been worth it.  

It had taken months of therapy for her to realize that she wanted a child because she desperately wanted someone to love her.  Deep in her subconscious, she knew Billy didn't really love her – and she knew she was miserable – but if she'd had a child, then she wouldn't be so lonely anymore.  Now she could see that having a child with Billy would have been the worst thing that could have happened to her.  Once a child was in the picture, there would have been no way she would have ever gained the courage to leave him and no child deserved to have Billy Russo as a father.

Her mind focused on the present again and she knew Peter was waiting for an answer, but she didn't know how to explain it to him without going into details she really didn't want to share.  "Yes, but it wasn't like most people think."

Peter's eyes narrowed as he tried to reconcile the hesitant and almost apologetic woman sitting across from him with the fiery vixen that had shoved him up against a stall door that morning.  He hated that he'd pushed her to reveal this part of herself, but at the same time, he knew that whatever was between them would never go anywhere as long as there were secrets between them.  And this secret was one you could keep from co-workers, but not from a lover.  He needed to know as much as possible so he didn't inadvertently trigger another bad memory like he had this morning.

"Did he have your full, enthusiastic consent?" he asked, realizing that he was going to have draw it out of her as gently as possible.

She looked up at him, and was surprised to see the rage burning within his eyes.  His voice had been so calm and even that she hadn't expected the anger that was silently radiating off of him.  For a moment, she was worried, but then she realized that the anger wasn't directed at her.  He was trying to keep his temper in check so he didn't scare her off, and while he was doing a great job keeping his voice steady, he couldn't hide the expression in his eyes.  A feeling began welling up inside of her, but she couldn't name it just yet.  All she knew was that she felt she could trust him, and if she wanted him to trust her, she needed to keep going.

"No, he did not," she said, and with that admission, she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her.

"Then he's a son of a bitch," Peter stated matter of factly.  "Please tell me he's rotting in jail somewhere."

Her heart dropped for a moment, and she was right back where she'd been a few moments ago.  It wasn't Peter's fault that he'd reminded her that she still wasn't completely free of Billy, but at the same time she hated that he'd brought it up.  "He was released on a technicality.  Hence the reason why I'm not too forthcoming with my past to just anyone."

Peter nodded his head slowly.  "Does he have any idea where you are?"

She shook her head.  "No one does.  I haven't even told my parents.  I send them emails a few times a week to let them know I'm okay, but the less they know, the better."

"I'm assuming that Rowan and Steve know everything?"

She was quick to answer, not wanting him to think that she was putting his friends in danger without their knowledge.  "Of course."

He nodded.  "Okay then.  I know you don't like being called 'baby,' but is there anything else I need to know about before we move any further?"

Her mouth dropped open a little.  "You still want move forward?"

His eyebrows furrowed as he cocked his head.  "Nothing's changed.  Well, other than the fact that I want to kill your ex-husband.  But as for you and me, unless you want to put a hold on things, I don't see how this affects what we've got going on."

She stared at him in shock.  She knew he'd told her that nothing she could say would change the way he felt about her, but until that very moment she hadn't allowed herself to believe it.  Now she was faced with the fact that he still wanted her, and that knowledge had her wanting him even more than she had before.  Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she tried to think if there was anything else he might do to inadvertently remind her of her ex.  "Billy always used to make passive aggressive comments about the way I looked or how I dressed.  So other than calling me 'baby,' that's the only thing that really bothers me."

"Got it," Peter said with a nod and a serious look on his face.  "But just to be clear, if were to tell you that when you bend over and your jeans stretch across your backside, it gets me all hot and bothered, would that be a problem?"

Heat speared through her and suddenly the comfortably warm evening turned into a sauna.  She eyed him warily as he continued to study her with an air of calm seriousness.  "I'm going to go ahead and assume our little wager still stands."

A deviously sexy smile slowly turned up the corners of his mouth.  "As long as we're both still having fun, I see no reason to alter our arrangement."

He watched as the wariness left her face and was replaced with the little smirk he'd come to love.  Their game was fun, but he knew now that she needed to feel a sense of power over him to help gain back the confidence her ex had stolen from her.  He had no doubts that the woman he'd held in his arms was more like the woman she'd been before her ex-husband had tried to beat her in submission, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make sure that she realized her full potential again.  Winning this game was no longer an option for him, but he had to play it just right, because if she figured out he intended to let her win, he'd risk losing her forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 14 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! Were you surprised that Nat had been digging up information on the Reader? What did you think of Nat's assessment of Peter's feelings toward the Reader? Do you think Peter's going to end up balking at the idea of falling in love and settling down, or will it be the Reader who doesn't want to take another risk with a playboy?  I look forward to your comments!_


	15. Chapter 15

YN hadn't been sure how this evening would turn out, but now that she'd told Peter about her past, she felt like she was finally free to explore her possibilities with him. He didn't seem the least bit turned off by the fact that she'd been abused in the past, and she was glad of that. If he started treating her with kid gloves, she'd probably lose her mind. She was ready to be herself again, and the woman she used to be had been flirtatious and fun. There was a moment of guilt when she realized that Peter was essentially going to be her guinea pig, but like he'd said, they were both just having fun.

She tipped her glass as she downed the last few drops of her wine before setting it on the floor beside her chair. "Well," she all but purred, loving the way his eyes darkened at her tone. "Are we finished talking for the evening?"

He knew what she was getting at, but after what he'd learned tonight, he was going to have to change up the way he approached her. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable, or have her think that she didn't have a choice in how things evolved between them. He'd never had to worry about being careful with a woman before, and had actively avoided situations like this in the past. Somehow, with her, it was different. He didn't see it as a burden to take things slow, but instead, he saw it as an opportunity to draw out every ounce of pleasure they could offer one another.

Crossing his legs at the ankle, he leaned back in his chair and leisurely sipped at his wine. "It is a gorgeous evening, isn't it?"

She stared at him in shock. For a second she thought that all of his talk about not looking at her differently had been a lie, but then she noticed that while he looked to be completely relaxed, his body was wound as tight as a spring. He wanted her to make the first move, and her heart ached as she recognized the fact that he was willing to let her call the shots, even though it seemed to be completely out of character for him. Realizing that she was coming dangerously close to caring about him – she wasn't even going to let her mind delve deeper down that road – she decided that getting back to the physical aspect of the relationship was more important than ever.

"It is," she said, deciding to play along with him. "I can't think of a single thing I'd rather be doing than just sitting right here watching the sunset."

"Is that right?" he asked, looking over at her with suspicion in his eyes. Had he misread her intentions, or was she upping the ante on him?

"Is there something else you wanted to do this evening?" she asked as innocently as possible.

In all the years since he'd discovered the pleasures to be had in the arms of a woman, he experienced the entire gamut of physical attraction. He'd teased and flirted, he'd chased and been chased, but being with her was like a punch to the gut. One minute he could be having a normal conversation with her, but then she'd look at him a certain way, and his entire system was flooded with an intense desire to have her in his arms. Right now was one of those times, and he was scared if he didn't get himself in check, he'd ruin things between them.

"There were a few things I had in mind," he answered, trying to keep his voice steady so as not to reveal how affected he was by her. "Why? Was there something you wanted to do?"

Frustration was starting to eat her alive, but somehow she found that she was enjoying it. "Well, we had started a conversation this morning that we didn't get to finish."

He uncrossed his ankles and slowly rose from his chair. Leaning over her, he braced his hands on her arm rests and brought his lips to her ear. "Do you want me to kiss you again, YN?"

The question was innocent enough, but the sexy way he'd whispered it into her ear sent a spear of heat straight to her core. She pulled away from him to look him in the eye. "You've never asked before, so why now?"

He took a deep breath as he tried to figure out how to explain it to her without making her feel like a victim again. "I just want to make sure that I have your full and enthusiastic consent."

Her eyes narrowed as she considered his words. "So, you plan on asking every single step of the way if what you're doing is okay with me?" She grimaced at the thought. "Isn't that going to kill the mood?"

Shaking his head he let out a sigh. "You've got the wrong idea. It's not like twenty questions."

"So, what will it be like?"

"You want a sneak preview?" he asked as a devious grin spread across his face.

She knew she was in for trouble, but so far she hadn't been disappointed. With her heart pounding just a bit, she waited to see what he would do next.

He leaned in close to her, his eyes locked on hers. His lips were mere millimeters away from hers as he began to whisper seductively. "I want to kiss you. I want to feel your hands in my hair and your body pressed tightly against mine. I want to feel your pulse racing under my fingers as I caress your neck. I want to hear my name on your lips as you beg me for more."

As he spoke, she began to imagine him doing every single thing he was describing and she found herself more turned on by his words than she would have been if he'd simply just acted out what he was saying. She felt short of breath and achy from the need to feel his hands on her body and his lips against hers again. How could she have ever thought asking for her consent would be boring? She knew he had a long track record when it came to women, so there was probably nothing he hadn't done. When she thought about some of things he could possibly whisper in her ear, she realized that this new strategy just might be the tipping point in terms of their bet. A few more sexily whispered propositions and she'd be putty in his hands.

Deciding that she needed to regain the upper hand, she began to rise from her chair. He was slow to move away from her, but she'd been hoping for that. As her body pressed against his, he took a deep breath and partially closed his eyes. Taking advantage of his distracted state, she turned him so that his back was to the chair. With a gentle nudge from her, he sat back and regarded her with wary eyes.

"I think I've got the idea," she said as she mimicked his earlier position. Leaning over him with her hands braced on the arms of the chair, she brought her lips to his ear. "I want you to kiss me, Peter. I want your hands on my body, your fingers digging into my skin as you use that extremely talented mouth to slowly drive me crazy."

He hadn't been prepared for her to turn the tables on him, but he couldn't find in it himself to be upset about it. "I'm all too happy to oblige, sweetheart."

Desperate to finally have his hands on her again, she placed her knees on either side of his hips and straddled his thighs. Her hands went straight for his hair and she wasted no time capturing his mouth with her own. When his fingers ground into her hips just like she'd asked, she felt the moan of pleasure rise up within her. She wanted him more than she'd ever wanted any other man, and there was a part of her that was ready to throw their entire bet away just to ease her own frustrations, but she held back. She was enjoying this torturous foreplay way too much to let it end this soon. Besides, she wanted to be the one to win this little game, if only to prove to herself that she was still in control of her own life.

His hands began to roam as his mouth left hers to kiss along her jaw and down her throat. She felt him place a kiss over the spot on her neck where she could feel her own heart pounding and she couldn't help but grin. He'd said he wanted to feel her pulse with his hands, but his mouth felt so much better against the sensitive skin under her jawline.

Having her in his arms again was the most pleasurable torture he'd ever endured. He knew that it would only take a few more whispered words to have her in his bed, but he was determined that she would be the one to initiate that final step, not him. If he were being honest with himself, he'd known all along that she would be the one to win their bet.

He'd enacted most of his fantasies throughout the years, but he truly doubted anyone had ever asked her what her most erotic fantasy was, let alone indulged it. He was curious to see what she would come up and he knew he'd be more than happy to sit back and let her tell him exactly what she wanted him to do to her. He had to admit that he'd been a little surprised she'd caught on to his idea as quickly as she had, but she was a creative woman and it seemed as though her imagination knew no bounds.

Deciding that he'd done enough thinking for the evening, he leaned back and focused on the woman in his arms. It had been a while since he'd had a make-out session on his back porch, but there was something to be said for going old-school every now and then.

 

YN's head was still in the clouds as she pulled up to Rowan and Steve's house. She'd been reluctant to leave, but she knew if she'd stayed even a minute longer, she would have never made it back home that night. Putting the truck into park, she grabbed her overnight bag and headed up the stairs toward the front porch, a goofy grin still plastered to her face.

"Hello," she called out as she closed the door behind her and locked it for the night.

"We're back here," Rowan called from the little breakfast nook off the kitchen. She gave Steve a worried look as she waited for her friend to join them and tell them about her dinner with Peter.

"I'm sure it was fine," Steve whispered as he laid a hand over his wife's. "Peter's not a complete tool."

Rowan gave him a disbelieving look, but when she saw YN rounding the corner, a smile appeared on her face in an instant. "How did it go?"

YN all but floated across the room before pulling out a chair and sitting across from her friends. With her elbows on the table, she rested her chin in her hands. She knew she had a dreamy look on her face, but she didn't care. Peter had heard the worst parts of her life, and somehow he still found her desirable. It wasn't much, but it meant more to her than she could ever explain.

"He cooked for me," she said with a sappy grin. "I don't think I've ever had a guy cook for me before."

"Chicken pot pie, spaghetti, or pot roast?" Steve asked with a wry grin.

She let out a laugh as she realized that Peter hadn't been joking about his culinary skills. "Pot roast with potatoes and carrots. I have to admit, it was better than I expected."

"That was sweet of him," Rowan said, feeling a lot better now that she'd seen the smile on her friends face. "Did you two talk?"

YN's smile faded a bit as she let out a sigh. "Yeah, but yet again, he surprised me. I wasn't sure how he was going to handle knowing what Billy had put me through, but somehow he knew exactly what to say to put me at ease."

"Peter's dealt with his fair share of abuse," Steve reminded her gently. "Granted, it's usually the kids at the ranch, but he knows where to place the blame."

"Oh, I got that alright," she said as her eyes grew wide. "There's a part of me that almost wishes Billy would show up so Peter could give him the beating he deserves." She held up a hand when both Rowan and Steve started to protest. "I know, I know. I shouldn't go jinxing things, but it's always nice to have someone get it, you know?"

She shook her head and dropped her hands to the table as she remembered some of the reactions her friends and family had had when she'd come back home. "My parents, God love them, they just didn't understand. They didn't outright accuse me of goading him, but there was always that undertone in their questions that made me believe they thought I'd done something to bring it on myself."

"You know that's not true," Rowan said as she reached across the table to grab her friends hand.

"Damn straight I know it's not true," YN said with a conviction in her voice that left no doubts in anyone's mind. "He was a mean, manipulative son of a bitch and there was absolutely nothing I could have ever to done to make him happy. I'm just glad I finally worked up enough courage to leave him before things got worse."

Steve gave her a smile as he rose from the table. "I'm sure you two want to discuss the rest of evening in private, so I'm going to go work on payroll for a bit before bed." He leaned down and kissed the top of Rowan's head. "Don't stay up too late."

"You don't have to go," YN protested as Steve began to leave. "I know you don't really want to hear about my make-out session with your friend, but I hate that you won't get to spend more of the evening with Rowan."

Steve turned and gave her a wink. "Oh, don't worry about that. I'm benefiting from you kissing and telling more than you'd ever believe."

YN's head whipped back around to stare at Rowan in disbelief. "You didn't?"

Her friend shrugged with a self-satisfying look on her face. "I'm not saying that Steve and I enjoyed a roll in the hay this afternoon, but if we did, it was literally a roll in the hay."

The laugh that erupted from YN had her throwing back her head and grabbing her sides. "I can't believe you came home and jumped your husband in the barn when you're almost eight months pregnant."

"He had no idea what hit him," Rowan said with a wide grin. "Please tell me you've got some more moves I can use to seduce my husband."

YN thought about the make-out session with Peter she'd had while she's straddled his lap in the Adirondack chair on his back porch. She tried to imagine Steve and Rowan reenacting that scenario and nodded her head when she realized it could still work for them.

"Well," she began with a sigh, knowing she'd have to give Rowan some of the backstory to make the rest make sense. "I really didn't need to tell him much about Billy for him to guess the worst of it. I was terrified he'd look at me differently once he'd learned the extent of the abuse, but it was just the opposite."

Rowan leaned back in her chair and began to rub circles over her belly. "If I know Peter, and I know him pretty well, he found someway to make you forget all about your miserable excuse for an ex-husband."

YN let out a long, slow breath as she remembered the way he'd whispered in her ear and without meaning to, she felt the blood begin to rush through her veins as heat began snaking its way to her core. "He's overly concerned with making sure he has my 'full and enthusiastic consent'." She used air quotes around the end so Rowan would know those were not her own words.

"And what exactly does that entail?" she asked, her eyebrows raised in question as she cocked her head to the side.

"The best way to describe it is dirty talk," YN said with laugh.

Rowan stared at her in awe as she thought about it for a second. "Huh. I can see how that would be an effective method." She focused her gaze back on her friend. "So, he pretty much tells you every dirty little thing he wants to do to you and waits to see if you're turned on by it?"

"Yep," she said with a shake of her head. "I would have never thought of it, but man, oh man, does it do things to you to actually hear exactly what a man wants to do to you. He never really got to anything really kinky, but I was ready to jump him anyway."

A slow smile played over Rowan's face. "I can already see a difference in you since you've been here. Working at the ranch and starting this thing with Peter has done wonders."

"Oh," YN said, suddenly remembering what had happened that afternoon after lunch. "I forgot to tell you about Grace." Rowan's eyes lit up with a hopeful look and motioned for her to continue. "We took the kids out to the falls to go swimming. I had no idea we were doing that, so I didn't have a suit. Grace apparently isn't much of a swimmer, so she sat off by herself and began to draw. Before I knew what was happening, she was sitting down beside me and asking me questions about different techniques."

"Oh, honey, that's wonderful." Rowan was so happy for her friend. It just reaffirmed what she'd already known – YN was meant to come to Thousand Oaks and not only repair her own damaged self-confidence, but to also work with the kids that Peter and the rest of her friends spent their lives trying to help. "It sounds like you had a wonderful day."

"I did," YN agreed. "I really did."

"I'm so happy for you, and I'm also glad that that silly bet between you and Peter is off." 

YN looked at her friend a little sheepishly. "It's not off." Rowan glared at her, but she just rolled her eyes and tried to explain her point of view. "It's just harmless fun. I want to take things slow right now. . ." She paused for a minute before correcting herself. "I _need_ to take things slow right now – I _want_ to rip his clothes off and see if his muscles look as good as they feel."

Rowan grimaced as the mental image invaded her mind. "I really don't want to think about Peter naked, but I get why you do. Aren't you worried that his most erotic fantasy might be out of your comfort zone? You forget that I've played Never Have I Ever with him back in high school. I seem to recall one fantasy he told us about where he wanted a girl to call him Star-Lord or something silly like that."

YN gave her a smirk. "You really think he's going to win this bet? It's been awhile since I've had really good sex, so you might have to help me come up with a good fantasy for him to enact."

Rowan thought about some of the more risqué love-making sessions she and Steve had indulged in once she'd moved back home and a devious smile played across her face. "Don't worry, sweetie, between you and me, we'll figure out something that will knock his socks off."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 15 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  What did you think of Peter's plan to ensure that he had the Reader's full and enthusiastic consent?  I don't think there's anything sexier than a man who's not afraid to let a woman take control, especially considering her history.  Were you surprised that Rowan went home and jumped Steve?  Can you blame her? I look forward to your comments!_


	16. Chapter 16

YN had barely been able to sleep the night before. Between her nerves and the erotic fantasies she and Rowan had brainstormed, her body and her mind refused to shut down for the night. When she'd awoken from a particular vivid dream featuring a sexy, rugged cowboy and looked over at her clock she'd seen that she only had about twenty minutes before her alarm went off. Knowing she'd never get back to sleep, she forced herself out of bed to start her day.

As she drove to the ranch in the pre-dawn darkness, she couldn't help but wonder if Peter would meet her in the barn this morning. She hadn't told him she was planning to come to work early, but maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to start off her day with a little alone time with him. Heaven knows, they didn't get a lot of that around the ranch once everyone else was up and about.

The light in his office was off when she pulled up, and although there were a few lights on in the staff cabins, the ranch seemed deserted. She looked at her satchel of art supplies and decided to leave them in the truck until later so she wouldn't have to worry about keeping up with the bag throughout the day. Closing the door as quietly as she could, she headed to the barn.

As she pulled open the door a bit, she could see a few lights on inside. At the sound of a man's voice, she paused, straining to hear who was already in the barn.

"She's amazing, you know?" Peter asked.

YN held her breath as she waited to hear the other person's response. When Peter kept on talking, she narrowed her eyes and started tiptoeing further inside the door.

"I can't seem to keep my hands off of her, boy."

Stifling a sigh, YN's heart swelled as she realized that Peter was talking to his horse. She knew she should say something to alert him to her presence, but a part of her wanted to hear what else he had to say about her.

Peter nuzzled the horse's cheek as he continued to feed him carrots. When Ego shook his mane, Peter took it to mean that the horse shared his frustrations. "I know, right? She's so damn sexy and she has no clue."

YN was scared that Ego was going to give her away as she snuck up behind Peter, but the man was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the horse trying to warn him that he wasn't alone any longer. She needed to get her hands on him this morning, needed to feel his mouth hot and wet against hers, but she wanted to catch him off guard. 

Coming up behind him, she slid her hands around his waist as she pressed the full length of her body against his back. "Oh, trust me, I know exactly how sexy I am."

She felt him jump in surprise, but he was quick to recover. Stepping away from her, he turned so that he was facing her before grabbing her hips and pulling her back to him. She saw the lust in his eyes and a wicked smile played at the corners of her lips.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop," he warned huskily as his hands began to slide down her backside. "How much did you hear?"

Her hands went to his chest as she stared into his eyes. "Enough to make me glad I came into work early." She waited for the smile to appear on his face before she continued. "Now, are you going to kiss me good morning, or do I have to do everything today?"

"Whatever you want, sweetheart," he said just before he leaned in and brushed his lips over hers.

It was a chaste kiss, and not at all what she'd been expecting from the look in his eyes. She had to admit that he knew exactly what he was doing as he continued to evade her needy mouth. Finally having enough, she grabbed the back of his head and kissed him like her life depended on it.

His hands dug into her flesh as her tongue swept past his lips and he was sure he was going to leave bruises on her later, but from the way she was kissing him, he didn't think she'd care. He tried to keep his head straight, but every part of her was intoxicating – the way her lips pressed against his, the way her body molded itself to him, the way her breath tickled the corners of his mouth as she moaned in pleasure, and the way her fingers thread through his hair, her nails gently raking against his scalp.

"Hate to break this up, but the kids will be here soon."

She and Peter pulled apart quickly, their heads turning toward the entrance of the barn at the same time. Embarrassment washed over her as Maria came striding into the barn, closely followed by Scott.

"Don't mind us," Scott said with a wink. "You two kids keep on doing what you were doing." As he walked past them, he leaned in with his hand shielding his mouth. "She's always a bit grouchy in the morning."

Untangling herself from Peter's arms, she reluctantly took a step back. "I think we're finished for now."

"Are we?" Peter asked as she walked down the aisle to Nova's stall.

"I didn't say we were finished," YN said over her shoulder as she gave him a smirk. "I said we were finished for _now_."

"What are we finished with?" Nat asked as she and Wanda made their way into the barn with a drink tray of to-go cups.

"YN and Peter sucking face," Maria said disgustingly as she started to muck out a stall.

Nat laid a hand over her heart dramatically. "Surely not Peter."

"Leave them alone. You're embarrassing YN," Wanda chastised, slapping her sister lightly on the shoulder before handing Nat a coffee. 

YN had been worried about what the rest of the staff would think of her and Peter, but from the reactions she was getting this morning, it seemed as though they didn't really care. Still a little ashamed at having been caught making out with the boss, she shot a quick glance in Peter's direction. She wasn't surprised to find him watching her, and when she smiled at him, he gave her a wink and turned back to his horse.

"I thought you might need a little pick-me-up this morning," Wanda said as she handed YN one of the to-go cups of coffee. "Although caffeine doesn't quite get your blood boiling the same way as a kiss from an extremely sexy man."

"It sounds like you speak from experience," YN said as she took the cup.

Wanda winked at her. "Absolutely. Vis always complains when I get him up early, but once I cast a seductive spell over him, he's more than happy to oblige."

YN let out a quiet giggle and and took a tentative sip of her coffee. Shocked that it was prepared the way she liked, she looked back up at the brunette with confusion in her eyes.

"I pay attention to details," Wanda said with a shrug before taking a drink of her own coffee and heading back toward her horse.

YN felt Nova nudging her shoulder, so she turned around and began to lovingly stroke her head. She felt happier in this moment that she had in a long time, and she wasn't sure what she'd done to deserve this. She knew she'd lucked out by finding this amazing group of people who were so willing to accept her into their lives, but she felt a little guilty about lying to them about her past. Knowing she'd eventually have to tell them the truth, but not ready to do it just yet, she pushed down her uneasiness and focused on her chores.

Peter found her later that morning sitting in one of the rocking chairs on the porch of the main cabin. She'd gone back to the truck for her satchel of art supplies and she was currently trying to capture the entirety of the ranch from this perspective, so she didn't notice him walking up beside her at first. Her body reacted to him before her mind figured out what was going on. 

Catching a whiff of his cologne, she realized at once why she'd gotten flushed all of a sudden. With a smile on her face, she turned to look at him and her breath caught in her throat. He had one hip leaned against the railing of the porch with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her draw. Her fingers were itching to sketch him as he was, just so she would always remember how incredibly sexy he was.

"I've to run an errand out of town," he announced without preamble. "I thought you might want to go with me." He saw her hesitation and added, "I'll buy lunch."

She wasn't sure if this was a ploy to get her alone, or if he really did have an errand to run and wanted her company, but when he mentioned food, she knew she was in. With a nod of agreement, she flipped the sketchbook closed and put her charcoal pencil back in its case. Placing her supplies back in the satchel, she lifted the strap over her shoulder and rose to follow him off the porch.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she walked beside him toward his house.

Peter walked around to the passenger side of his truck and opened the door for her. "There's a resort about forty-five minutes away from here near Kelly Island."

She tried not to let her jaw drop in surprise that he'd thought to open her door, so she kept her mouth firmly closed as he waited for her to get situated and fasten her seatbelt. Billy had only opened doors for her when other people were around. Otherwise, she'd been left to fend for herself. The fact that Peter did it without seeming to think about it, and with no one else around to witness it, said a lot about his character, and it was just another reason to think she was making a good call with him.

"Nat and Wanda's mom actually designed the facility," Peter continued once he'd gotten behind the wheel and started down the driveway. "We take the kids up there for a week every summer after school lets out to go camping and fishing."

"You can't do that at your place?" she asked, thinking of the meadow leading to the falls and the small creek that flowed downstream from it.

"We can," he answered with a shrug. "It's just nice to get them away from the ranch every now and then. We get to leave whenever we want, but they're basically stuck there until the courts can find a permanent home for them or they age out of the system."

"You really do care about these kids like they're your own, don't you?"

He turned to look at her once he'd pulled onto the highway leading North. "I had a rough life before Yondu took me in, and while he wasn't the greatest role model, we had some awesome adventures together. I guess I just want these kids to know what that feels like – at least once in their lives."

"You're a good man, Peter Quill," she said as he turned to focus on the road again. She could see his neck turning a bright shade of red and she knew she'd embarrassed him. "You're not used to getting compliments, are you?"

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Oh, I get plenty of compliments, darlin'."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Not those kinds of compliments, you perv."

"See?" he said, pointing a finger in her direction. "One second I'm a good man, and the next I'm a perv."

"You're just multi-faceted," she conceded.

He nodded his head as he thought about her assessment of his character. "So, which facet of my personality do you like best?"

Recognizing the teasing tone of his voice, she decided to use their current situation to her advantage. Slipping off her seatbelt, she slid across the bench seat of his truck until her thigh was pressed snuggly against his. Running one hand through the soft curls at the base of his neck, she let her other hand rest on his thigh as her fingers danced over the tight denim. Leaning over, she began to whisper in his ear. "I like the whole. . ." she paused dramatically and allowed her gaze to drop to his lap. ". . .package."

When he groaned in obvious frustration, it sent a thrill through her that had her feeling like a giddy teenager. She loved knowing she could turn him on with nothing more than a brush of her fingertips and a few whispered innuendos.

"Just for the record, I did not ask you on this trip to seduce you."

Acting on impulse, she nipped at his earlobe and slowly drug it between her teeth. She felt the truck pick up speed as he unconsciously pressed the gas a little harder. "Maybe I only agreed to come because I wanted to seduce you."

"Dammit, woman," he growled through his clenched teeth. "If you don't stop what you're doing, I'm libel to wreck this truck."

She slid the hand that had been playing with his hair down his neck and over his collarbone. As she slipped it inside of his shirt to graze over his pecs, she placed a kiss over the throbbing pulse just under his jaw. "What I am doing?" she asked as she continued to kiss down his neck.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a laugh. "You're trying to get us both killed, that's what your doing." Both of his hands were gripping the wheel as tightly as he could because he knew the minute he got his hands on her, there would be no turning back. "I know a place we can pull off, if you're serious about finishing this."

He could feel her mouth turn up into a smile as she continued to tease him with hot, open mouthed kisses along his neck and jaw. He'd never been so turned on by a woman in all of his life, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on to his self-control.

"Are you really ready to admit defeat?" she asked as the hand on his thigh started to slide inward.

"Don't," he warned, his breath started to come in short gasps. "Stop."

Knowing she had him right where she wanted him, she couldn't help herself from continuing to tease him. "Don't? Stop? Or don't stop?"

"Oh, God, both," he said as he struggled to hold his attention on the road.

With a laugh of triumph, she scooted back over to her own seat and refastened the seatbelt. Feeling pretty proud of herself, she turned her back against the door so she could have a better view of him. "You thought this was going to be easy, didn't you?"

He let out a huff. "That'll teach me to never underestimate a woman again." He turned to look at her and his heart skipped a beat. She had a smug, cat-that-just-ate-the-canary look on her face that wasn't doing anything to relieve the snugness in his jeans, but somehow, just the sight of her touched him nonetheless. If this was what she was like after getting out of an abusive relationship, what would she have been like before? 

Trouble. 

That's what she would have been like before. She was the type of woman that no man could resist and he wouldn't have been the exception. He would be in the exact same position he was in right now, but would he have been able to accept the truth of the matter back then? He was having a hard enough time accepting it now, but he knew as he looked at her sitting beside him, she was the last woman he'd ever take to his bed. 

He hated that Nat had been right, but that was the least of his worries. Somehow, he needed to find a way to convince her that their fling could be more than that. Somehow, he needed to convince her that he could be the kind of man she needed, the kind of man she deserved. Somehow, he needed to find a way to make her fall in love with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 16 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! Is it just me, or this slow burn about to drive you guys crazy too?? We all know where they’re going to end up eventually, but boy, oh boy, is it fun getting them there! What did you think about her teasing in the truck? What about his realization at the end? Did you guess he’d be the one to fall in love first?  I look forward to your comments!_


	17. Chapter 17

YN could tell that Peter's thoughts weren't centered on the drive to the resort.  Since she'd moved back to her seat, a pensive gaze had settled over his handsome features, and little frown lines had appeared between his brow.  She wasn't sure what he was thinking about, but somehow she knew it must be about her since he'd occasionally glance her way before focusing back on the road.  She wasn't too concerned, so she mostly ignored him and spent the drive looking at the scenery along the highway.

"It's a pretty day," he finally said, breaking the silence.  "What would you say to getting our lunch to-go and having a little picnic out by the river?"

"That would be nice."  She smiled as she wondered how secluded it would be by the river.  It would be fun to see just how far she could push him before he cracked.

Peter activated the voice controls in the truck.  "Call the Bluestone Resort."  

After a couple rings, a female voice answered.  "Good morning, and thank you for calling Bluestone Resort.  This is Sharon speaking, how may I help you?"

"Hey, Sharon.  It's Peter Quill."

"Hello, Peter," Sharon replied.  "What can I do for you today?"

YN had noticed the change in Sharon's tone of voice once she realized it was Peter.  Narrowing her eyes at him, she decided to ask him about it once he'd gotten off the phone.

"I'm on my way up to book the trip for the kids in a few weeks," he explained.  "I've got one of my new staff members with me and I was hoping we could get a couple lunches to-go so I could show her around the island a bit."

"Oh, I see.  That's no problem at all.  Tell me what you'd like, and I'll put the order into the kitchen now.  It should be ready by the time we finish the paperwork."

"That's perfect," Peter said as he looked over toward YN with a smile.  "I'll have the turkey club sandwich with the homemade potato chips.  Ranch dressing for the chips, and add one of those triple fudge brownies and a bottle of water."  He paused and looked back at YN.  "What would you like?"

"I'll have what you're having," she told him.  "It sounds amazing."

"Ok, Sharon, make that two."

"Got it," Sharon said.  "I'll call the kitchen right now and get that put in for you.  What time do you think you'll be here?"

Peter looked toward the shoulder of the road for a mile marker sign.  "We should be there in about fifteen minutes."

"I'll see you then," Sharon said.

"Ok, thanks Sharon," Peter said as he hit the button on the steering wheel to end the call.

"So, what's the story there?" YN asked, pouncing on him as soon as the phone disconnected.

"What do you mean?"

"Sharon?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows.  "She seemed all too happy that you were coming up – at least until you mentioned that you were bringing me."

"What?  No."  Peter tried to downplay the situation, but he knew it probably wouldn't work.  YN was good at picking up clues that most people would ignore.  He knew why now, but it still didn't make it less annoying.

"The two of you were a thing once," she stated, not bothering to phrase it as a question.

"Fine," he said with a sigh of defeat.  "We enjoyed one another's company for a few weeks, but that was over a year ago.  And anyway, she'd dated Steve before she and I ever hooked up."

YN's mouth fell open at that revelation.  "What?  Steve Rogers and Sharon the receptionist?"

"Yep," Peter said with a shrug.  "It was right after he graduated from college.  Rowan was already in Seattle at that point and we all figured she'd never come home."

"Well, in her defense, she caught the love of her life cheating on her," YN pointed out before holding up a hand to stop Peter from interrupting her.  "I know, I know.  It was all one huge misunderstanding, but I don't blame her one bit for wanting to get as far away from Steve as possible."

"That's not what I was going to say, but you're right.  I was going to tell you that we didn't know the whole story back then.  All Steve would tell us was that he'd screwed up and ruined the best thing that'd ever happened to him.  We all assumed he'd gotten drunk and slept with some other chick, but he wasn't talking and neither was Rowan."  Peter stopped and looked at YN quizzically.  "She told you though, didn't she?"

"She did," YN admitted.  "I knew she wasn't close with any of her former friends, but I never realized that she'd kept you guys in the dark about the whole thing.  I think she was just embarrassed."  She waved a hand to indicate she was done with that topic.  "Enough about that.  Tell me more about Steve and Sharon.  Was is serious?"

"It was the most serious relationship Steve had between the breakup and Rowan coming home.  Tony was the one who introduced them, actually.  I told you that his ex-wife was the one who'd designed the resort.  After she left him, he'd drive up there and sit at the bar and drink every weekend."  He stopped for a moment to remember those days.  "Nat and Wanda were worried sick about him.  Anyway, he met Sharon and he knew how miserable Steve was, so he set them up."

"How long did they date?"

"Not too long.  She was looking for something serious, but Steve just wasn't there yet.  Too hung up on Rowan, I guess."

"I kinda feel sorry for her," YN said with a sigh.  "Steve is great guy."  She took a breath and then looked back at Peter.  "So, I'm a little confused.  She was really into Steve, but she still had a fling with you a few years later?"

"Oh, that's a funny story," Peter said already started to laugh at the memory.  "See, I never met Sharon while she was dating Steve.  I was just getting the ranch started and was working eighteen to twenty hour days building the cabins and enlarging the barn, so I didn't go out as much back then.  When she and I started our thing last year, oh boy, let me tell you, it was an interesting night out on the town when we all went dancing together."

"Oh, no," she said, covering her mouth with her hand.  "Steve didn't know you were bringing her as your date.  What did he do?  What did Rowan do?"

"Everyone was polite – painfully so," he told her with a shake of his head.  "Needless to say, that was the last time she and I went out."

YN's brows drew together in confusion.  "Wait, if she dumped you, then why did she seem so happy to hear from you today."

"I never said she was the one to dump me," he pointed out with a lopsided grin.

YN still didn't understand.  "You broke up with her because she'd dated your friend a few years before?"

Peter gave her a grimace before he finished explaining.  "I broke it off because she's a level nine clinger."

YN took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  "I know I'm going to regret asking this question, but what exactly is a level nine clinger, and just how many levels are there?"

"There are ten levels," Peter said, all to happy to explain.  "I came up with the rating system, by the way.   A level one is basically your standard booty call.  A level ten is a girl that has your wedding planned out by the end of the first date."

YN shook her head and buried her face in her hands.  What had she gotten herself into?  "So, what level am I, or do you not want to tell me?"

Peter swallowed hard.  He knew exactly what level she was, but for the first time in his life, he wished the number was higher.  Doing his best to look cocky, he glanced her way.  "You are a solid five, sweetheart."

"Okay," she said with a frown.  "That's supposed to be a good thing?"

"Absolutely."  Peter nodded his head and gave her a smile.  "Five is friends with benefits which is pretty much ideal."

"We're friends?" YN asked before she could stop herself.

"What?" he asked.  "You don't think men and women can be friends?"

"Of course I do," she said.  "I just didn't realize that you thought we were friends."

He reached over and grabbed her hand.  "We're friends, YN.  No matter what happens between us, I still want to be your friend."

For most guys, that would be just another line they'd use to get a woman into bed with them, but when Peter said it, she was convinced that he meant it.  It had been a long time since she'd had friends, so it was still a little odd for her to realize that she was now surrounded by people who actually cared about her and wanted her to be happy.

She squeezed his hand, but didn't let go.  He turned and gave her a smile before lacing his fingers with hers.  It was such a simple gesture – holding hands – but her heart swelled with emotion anyway.

"We're almost there," Peter announced.

He turned onto a paved driveway with large stone walls flanking either side.  Atop each wall was a sign that read "Bluestone Resort."  She focused on the long drive shaded on either side by large pines.  The road curved sharply and the trees suddenly gave way to reveal the massive log and stone resort right in front of them.

"It's beautiful," she exclaimed as she leaned forward in her seat to get a better view.  "Wanda and Nat's mom must be extremely talented."

"She is," Peter agreed as he found a parking spot.  "The girls told me a few years ago that she made senior partner of her firm.  Now it's Coulson, Fury, _and_ Stark."

"She kept Tony's last name?" YN asked once Peter had come around to open her door for her.  "I guess it's not all that uncommon, but from what I've heard about her, she seems like a independent type of woman."

"I asked that question myself," Peter told her as he took her hand again and guided her toward the wide wooden steps that led up to the front porch of the resort.  "Nat said that her parents had gotten married before her mom graduated college, so she's been a Stark her entire career and she wanted to keep the name recognition."

"I guess that makes sense," she said as her eyes swept over the features of the resort.

The front porch ran the entire length of the building and there were rocking chairs and small seating arrangements spaced throughout for the guests to enjoy.  

"This side faces the east, so it has a great view of the sunrise," Peter explained as he opened the front door.  "The back side – where the dining room is – faces the west and the sunsets from there are spectacular."

Feeling a little self-conscious, she dropped his hand as they entered the main lobby.  The floors beneath them were polished hardwood with large area rugs that held more seating arrangements.  The four skylights above them let in an abundance of natural light, which made the woodwork gleam.  

Directly opposite the front door was a long counter with three receptionists.  One of them, a pretty woman with medium length blonde hair and warm brown eyes rose to greet them.

"Hello, Peter," she said with a smile before turning to his companion.  "I'm Sharon Carter, it's nice to meet you."

"YN YLN," YN replied, giving the other woman a warm smile.

"Why don't you two follow me and we'll get the booking information squared away," Sharon said as she walked toward a door to the left of the reception desk.

YN and Peter followed her to a small conference room and took the two seats opposite her.  There was a window facing the back of the resort and YN could just see the river and the mountains beyond.  

"I went ahead and pulled up last year's booking," Sharon said as she opened a file and turned it so Peter could take a look.  "Is there anything you'd like to change?"

"I heard you guys put in a zip line," Peter told her as he flipped through the pages.  "Is there any way we can add that in?"

"Let me check the availability," Sharon said with a nod as she pulled out her iPad and tapped the screen a few times.  "You want to come up the third week in June again, correct?"

Peter gave Sharon a nod and pushed the folder over to YN so she could take a look.  

"I have an opening on Thursday afternoon of that week that would accommodate all of your kids and staff," Sharon said, looking up at him for approval.  "Will that work for you?"

Peter shuffled through the pages until he came to the itinerary for Thursday of last year.  "Yeah, that'll be perfect.  All we had on Thursday last year was fishing.  Now we can fish in the morning and do the zip line in the afternoon."

"Perfect," Sharon said as she added Peter's group to the schedule.  "Was there anything else you needed?"

Before Peter could answer, there was a knock at the door and a man wearing a white apron walked in carrying a large bag with the resort's logo on the front.  "Two turkey clubs to-go," he told them as he sat the bag down on the table next to YN.  "I hope you enjoy."

"Thank you, Jasper," Sharon said as the man headed back to the kitchen.  "Where were we?"

"We were just finishing up," Peter said.  "All of this looks perfect.  I just got the grant money last week, so I can write you a check right now."  He pulled out a leather wallet from his back pocket and opened it to retrieve the blank check he'd put in there that morning.  "I'll pay for lunch with my card if that's okay?"

"I can do that back at the front desk," Sharon told him as she gave him the total amount for the trip.

YN's eyes grew large.  "You said you got a grant.  For the whole thing?"

"Yeah," Peter said with a smile.  "Courtesy of Fury, Coulson, and Stark.  They pay for this trip every year."

YN smiled and nodded in wonder.  Nat and Wanda's mom sounded like an amazing woman.  YN had met Tony a few days ago and he'd seemed like a great guy, so she couldn't help but wonder what had happened there.  Whatever their story was, it was still nice of her and her other partners to fund this getaway for the kids every year.

Peter handed over the check to Sharon, grabbed the folder, and waited until YN had grabbed the bags of food before following Sharon back to the receptionists' desk.  He handed Sharon a credit card to pay for lunch and then led YN back through the front entrance.

"It's just a short drive to my favorite spot here," Peter told her as they got back into the truck.

In less than five minutes, he was pulling off the highway again onto a graveled road that wove between the trees.  Pulling into a parking spot at the end of the road, he helped her down from the truck and guided her toward one of the hiking trails branching off of the parking lot.

"How far of a walk is it?" she asked as she adjusted the strap of her satchel.

"Not far," he said as he reached for her hand again.  He'd never been one to hold a woman's hand, but he found that he liked the feeling of being close to her.

She wasn't sure if was the fact that they were away from the ranch, or if it was the romantic atmosphere of going on a picnic with him, but she felt herself start to loosen up.  Stepping closer to him, she tucked her arm under his and leaned against him slightly as they continued their walk.

Peter almost hated to see the end of the trail up ahead.  He was enjoying having her close to him and he knew once they sat down that she'd no longer be in such close contact.  He was becoming addicted to the smell of her – he didn't know if it was perfume or body wash, but whatever it was, it was intoxicating.

When they got to the end of the trail, and walked past the tree line, the view before her took her breath away.  There was a river just ahead of them, the banks scattered with large river rocks.  On the other side of the wide expanse of water were the impressive peaks of a mountain range.

"Those are the Blue Mountains," Peter explained as he led them to a small clearing near the water's edge.  "It's where the resort gets its name."

YN took a seat beside him as he began to unpack their lunches.  "It's breathtaking.  Thank you for bringing me out here."

"I figured you'd enjoy it," he said as he took the first bite of his sandwich.

"Is it good?" she asked with a laugh when she heard the moan of pleasure coming from him as he chewed.  She bit into her sandwich and immediately understood why he'd reacted the way he had.  

They spent the next few minutes eating in silence as they listened to the sound of the water lapping against the rocks.  The sun was high in the sky and shining straight down on the ridges of the Blue Mountains before them.  YN could just make out small traces of snow on their peaks.  Until that moment, she hadn't realized how much she'd missed Montana.  She'd grown up in North Carolina with the Appalachian Mountains on one side and the Atlantic Ocean not too far away on the other, but there was something to be said about the awe-inducing heights of the Rocky Mountains.  She'd only intended for this to be a stop on her journey to finding her independence again, but the longer she stayed, the more realized that this place was becoming home for her.

She looked over at Peter and briefly wondered what would happen to them once the sparks between them fizzled out.  He'd said he wanted to remain friends, and she was perfectly fine with that, but the longer she spent around him, the more she wanted to be with him all of the time.  Feeling her heart start to shift, she took a deep breath and cleared her thoughts.  It was best to take things one day at a time.

Putting all of her trash back into the paper bag, she set it aside before reaching for her satchel.  The view before her was too beautiful not to sketch.  After a few minutes, she was lost in her art.

Peter was leaning back, his hands slightly behind him supporting his weight as he stretched out his legs before him and watched her sketch.  He loved the way she bit her lower lip and titled her head to get a different perspective of the scenery before her.  Content to sit in silence and enjoy the peace of the day, he let her draw while he continued to watch her.

When she'd finished the landscape, she'd glanced over at Peter to find him staring at her.  He had a look in his eye that was dangerous and she found it exhilarating.  Flipping to a new page, she twisted around, sitting back on her heels so that she was facing him as she began to draw the outline of his face and body.  "Don't move," she instructed as her pencil began to fly over the page.  She felt an overwhelming need to capture ever nuance of his expression before it changed.

When she was finally satisfied with her drawing, she let out a long breath and began to put away her art supplies.  Glancing at her watch, she saw they still had plenty of time before they needed to head back to the ranch.  Rocking back on her heels, she stood and looked down at him.  She could see the confusion in his eyes and a smile of satisfaction spread across her face.  Stepping over his thighs, she placed her hands on his shoulders as she slowly lowered herself down to kneel over his lap.

"Is this okay?" she asked.  Her tone was innocent, but the look in her eye wasn't.

"Gotta sit somewhere," he said with a smirk.  

She tucked her knees under her and sat with her bottom resting on his thighs.  She reached out and popped the top button of his shirt.  "Tell me to stop and I will."

"Not on your life, sweetheart," he answered.  He could feel his heart starting to race and his breath was already coming in short gasps.  This woman was going to be the death of him if he wasn't careful.

She slipped another button loose from it's hole and slid her hands beneath the opening.  Leaning down, she placed a kiss just under his collarbone.  When she looked back at him, he had his head thrown back and his lips were slightly parted as he struggled to draw air into his lungs.

Dragging her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, she gripped the back of his head and pulled it forward to face her. She waited until his eyes focused on her before she leaned in and teased his lips with hers.  She kissed both sides of his mouth before moving on to his jawline.  When she felt his hands start to slide across her waist, she reached down and grabbed them.  

Looking him dead in the eye, she returned them to their original position.  "Uh-uh.  Hands to yourself, cowboy."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, his voice raspy with desire.

She leaned back in to kiss him, but she paused at the last second.  She loved the wait it felt just before a  kiss when each person's breath mingled together and the tension was almost thick enough to be palpable.  Her heart was starting to race and when she could wait no longer, she closed the distance between them.

The kiss was hot and steamy, all tongues and teeth and desperation to be closer to one another.  She squeezed her hands between them and finished unbuttoning his shirt.  Dragging herself away from him, she gazed down at his naked chest on display before her.  He was even more beautiful than she'd imagined.  Raking her fingernails lightly over the bulges, she felt his muscles quivering beneath her touch.  

She glanced around at the empty river bank before looking back at him.  "What are the odds of us not being interrupted out here?"

"Slim to none," he replied with a regretful shake of his head.

"Screw it," she said as she reached for the buttons of her own shirt.  She had an intense desire to feel his flesh against hers and she was in a risk-taking mood.

She saw the way his eyes had darted to her chest as she popped the first button, so she reined in her own passions to draw this out for both of them.  Very slowly she slipped each button through its hole as she began to reveal more and more of herself him.  When she saw his fingers start to dig into the ground behind him, a wanton smile spread across her face.

She wasn't brave enough to remove her bra out in the open, so she would have to be satisfied with what little physical contact she could get under the circumstances.  Threading her fingers through his hair, she leaned forward until she was flush against him as her mouth captured his again.  When she felt his hands slide under the back of her shirt, she didn't stop him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 17 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  What did you think of Sharon? I hated to leave her out of this story altogether, so I thought it would be interesting to make her one of Peter’s many conquests. . .plus give a nod to that unfortunate pairing from Civil War. We’re also staring to learn more about Tony and his mysterious ex-wife. . .that’s going to be a fun story! This cliffhanger wasn’t as cruel as some, but I still left things unresolved. How much longer do you think they’ll be able to hold out for? I look forward to your comments!_


	18. Chapter 18

"Did you see the look on that guy's face?" YN laughed as Peter headed back toward the highway.  "I think he was more embarrassed than we were."

"Speak for yourself, darlin'," he teased as he glanced over at her leaning against the passenger side door of the truck with a huge smile on her face.  She'd slipped off her boots and propped her feet on the bench seat near where he sat, and he'd never thought she'd looked prettier than she did at that moment.

"You're seriously going to sit there and tell me you weren't embarrassed to be caught making out half naked by some eighty year old man?"

"First of all," Peter pointed out as one of his eyebrows arched dramatically.  "We were not 'half-naked.'  We were in a semi state of dress.  And secondly, that old dude was grinning like crazy by the time we hightailed it out of there.  I think he even gave me a thumbs up right before we disappeared back into the trees."

YN couldn't keep the goofy grin off of her face.  Being with Peter brought out a side of her she'd long forgotten, and she loved being able to let loose knowing that the person she was with shared her same sense of adventure.  "All he wanted to do was go fishing."

Peter reached over and grabbed her leg.  "He might walk away with a nice trout, but I'm going home with the Catch of the Day."

She rolled her eyes as a peel of laughter had her almost doubling over.  "That was the cheesiest line I've ever heard."  She looked back at him and held out both hands.  "Please tell me you've never actually used that before."

"Maybe," he said, doing his best to look offended.

She shook her head in disbelief.  "Did it ever work?"

"I don't know," he said as his thumb slipped under the leg of her jeans to rub circles along her ankle.  "I'll let you know later tonight."

She shouldn't be turned on by a man touching her ankle, but between the light scraping of his calloused thumb and the way he was looking at her out of the corner of his eye, she could feel the heat rising up within her again.  "I keep telling you," she reminded him with a smirk as she stretched her legs out so that her feet were resting in his lap, "whenever you're ready to give in, I'll be more than happy to oblige."

He glanced her way and gave her a wink.  "You keep saying that.  I'm staring to think you're ready for this bet to end, but you don't want to be the one to give in."

"Could be," she said with a slight nod of her head.  "Or maybe I just love to watch you squirm when I remind you how easy it would be to get me in your bed."

He gave her a shocked look.  "Easy?  You?"  He shook his head and let out a laugh.  "You are the most difficult woman I've ever tried to seduce in my life, but I do love a challenge."

"Then I guess we're stuck in this endless loop of sexual frustration until one of us caves," she mused with a devious smile on her face.  

"Looks like it."  He gave her one last smirk before turning his attention back to the road, all the while still caressing her ankle as it sat in his lap.

 

They made it back ten minutes before the kids got off the bus from school, and while most of the staff didn't give them a second glance, YN caught the knowing smirk on Nat's face as she walked past YN into the barn.  YN felt like she should be ashamed of her actions for some reason, but she reminded herself that she was a grown woman who didn't answer to anyone anymore – she would enjoy ever second of her relationship with Peter and it didn't matter what anyone else thought.

"You're good for him," Nat told YN as she came up beside her once the kids had gone back inside to do their homework.

YN looked at her in surprise.  "I wasn't sure you approved."

"Peter and I are a lot alike," Nat explained as they started walking back toward the main cabin.  "He and I like keeping our relationships casual, but there's nothing casual about you."

"Hence the reason why I didn't think you approved," YN said as facial expression gave away the sarcasm in her statement.  "Not that it's any of your business, but we've both agreed to keep things casual."

"Then you're both delusional," Nat said with a shrug of her shoulders.  "I've already told him this, but I'm not sure he was listening to me."

YN stopped and regarded the red-head intently before speaking again.  "How did he react when you told him your opinion?"

A slow smile tugged at the corners of Nat's lips.  "The same way you are.  Which tells me I'm on the mark."  The smile faded as a serious look came over her face.  "Look, I'm perfectly happy with the arrangement I have with Wade, but I can be honest enough to admit that it's a pretty permanent relationship.  All of our friends are starting to settle down and start families of their own, and whether Peter wants to admit it or not, he wants a family."  She stretched out her arms to encompass the entire ranch.  "Take a look at what he's built here and you'll start to see it."

YN thought about what Nat was telling her, but it didn't ease her worries.  What if Peter really did want more than just a casual fling?  Was she ready to jump into another relationship with a strong-willed man?

"You think I'm the woman he needs to settle down with?" YN finally asked, getting straight to the point.

"Only if you want to be." Nat laid a hand on YN's shoulder and gave it a squeeze before she started walking toward the main cabin again.

YN stood in the middle of lawn that separated the cabins from the barn and really looked at her surroundings.  She'd admitted to herself this morning that Montana was starting to feel like home.  Was it really Montana, or was it this ranch with her amazing coworkers, lovable kids, and extremely sexy boss?  

She felt a hand slide around her waist and when she inhaled sharply, she immediately recognized the scent of the man she'd just recently tried to seduce on a riverbank.  Stepping back into his embrace, she allowed herself to find comfort in his arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning over to whisper in her ear.

"Nothing," she said as she turned her head to look him in the eye.  "I was just trying to see this place through your eyes.  I hadn't really thought about how detailed this set up was, but after you told me this morning that you built these cabins by yourself, I have a new appreciation for what you're doing here."

"Thanks," he said, giving her a wary look.  "I feel like there's more to it than that. . ."

She turned around in his arms and smiled.  "There's definitely more.  The more I learn about you, the more I like you."

"I like you, too," he said.  He glanced around to make they were alone and then leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.  "C'mon, let's go make sure the kids are actually doing what they're supposed to be doing."

Her fingers itched to be intertwined with his again, so she jammed her hands into her pockets to resist the urge.  She let out a breath and realized that she was already starting to get attached to him.  She really hoped that if she decided to change the terms of their arrangement that he'd be on the same page as her.

As YN walked in through the door Peter held open for her, she immediately spotted Michelle sitting on one of the couches with a sketchbook open in her lap – her sketchbook.  The girl looked up at her with a wry grin and continued to turn the pages, not the least bit concerned that she'd been caught snooping through YN's things.

"Do you want me. . .?"

"I've got this," YN interrupted before Peter could finish.  "I left it on the counter for Grace to find, so it's my fault."

Peter nodded and headed toward the boys' side of the cabin while YN made her way over to the couch.  "Do you draw?" She nodded toward the unopened sketchbook laying beside the girl.

Michelle looked up at YN and took a moment to assess her.  She hadn't been sure what YN's reaction would be to finding her looking through the sketchbook, but so far she didn't think YN was angry.  "Every now and then.  Not like Grace, though."

"Hmm," YN said, waiting to see if the other girl would continue talking.

"You left this out for her, didn't you?" Michelle asked as she continued flipping the pages.

"What makes you think that?"

Michelle rolled her eyes.  "Really?  Like we all haven't noticed that Grace talks to no one around here?  You're trying to connect with her – I get it."  She nodded toward the sketchbook.  "It's a good plan, too.  You're the first adult Grace has willingly talked to since she's been here."

YN picked up on Michelle's choice of words immediately.  "The only adult, huh?  Does she talk to the other kids?  Maybe you, perhaps?"

"She and I may have talked about drawing a few times," Michelle hedged.  "She may have even showed me some of the techniques you taught her yesterday at the falls."

"Good," YN said with a smile.  "I'm glad she's making friends here."

Michelle looked at her in disbelief.  "You're not going to ask me what else we talked about?"

"Nope," YN said with a shake of her head.  "What you two discuss in private is none of my business."

"Speaking of none of my business,"Michelle said as she flipped the book around to show YN what page she was currently looking at.  "You might want to tear this page out before someone finds it."

YN looked at the picture she'd drawn of Peter at the river today.  She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she remembered what had happened right after she'd finished drawing him.  "It's just a picture of Peter," she said, trying to downplay the significance of the sketch.  "I don't see why that's a big deal."

Michelle turned it around to look at it again.  "Really?  'Cause that's not what I see."

YN swallowed hard.  She knew she would probably regret this next question, but she was too curious not to ask.  "What do you see?"

"You love him," Michelle stated with a firm nod.  "You don't put this much detail into a drawing unless you really love the subject."

"Maybe I just find his facial features interesting," YN said lamely as her heart started pounding in her chest.  Was this girl that intuitive, or was she just trying to push YN's buttons?

"Maybe," Michelle agree with a shrug before a smug smile tugged at the corners of her lips.  "But we can all see the way you look at him, and more importantly, the way he looks at you when you're not paying attention."

"Is that so?"

"I think it's nice," Michelle said as she dropped her gaze.  "Peter's a great guy – everyone here is – but he's all alone.  Grace seems to trust you, so that must mean you're okay."

YN's heart began to swell.  She hadn't really considered how the kids would see her relationship with Peter, but now she was acutely aware of just how much he meant to them.  Now that she knew how much they loved him, it gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling to know that they saw her as someone they could come to love as well.  

She knew she'd never be able to keep her voice from cracking, so she reached over and picked up Michelle's sketchbook.  She waited to see if the girl would protest, but when she said nothing, YN opened it up and began to flip through the pages.

Once she'd gotten to the end she closed it and handed it back to the girl.  "You're really good at drawing faces."

"Thanks."

"I noticed that there was one face in particular that you seem to draw more often than others," YN said with a smirk.  "Perhaps I'm not the only one who likes drawing a guy named Peter."

Michelle tried not to look scandalized.  "I'm not obsessed with him, just very observant."

YN gave her a knowing smile as she stood up.  "Okay, Michelle."

"My friends call me MJ," she said.

YN knew she needed to play it cool, but she was secretly elated that she'd now gotten two of the kids to trust her.  "Okay, MJ."  She started to walk toward the girls' room, but stopped.  "Don't you have any homework?"

Michelle gave her a smug smile.  "I have study hall last period, so I do it all there.  Perks of having a four point six GPA – you don't have take some stupid elective you're not really interested in."

YN was more and more impressed with this girl the longer she talked to her.  With a nod and a smile, she headed off to check on the other girls, leaving Michelle – MJ – to draw in her sketchbook.

 

The beautiful day quickly turned ugly as storm clouds rolled in from the west.  With an evening ride off the agenda for the day, Tess and Deke had served dinner a little early and then put on a movie for the kids to watch before bed.

YN wasn't used to leaving the ranch this early, so she wasn't sure what she was going to do.  She hated to interrupt whatever Steve and Rowan had planned, but there weren't that many alternatives in Thousand Oaks.  

She'd waited until the storm had finally blown over before heading to her truck to leave. Just as she'd made it across the yard, she heard Peter calling her name.

"Hey," he said as he caught up to her.  "I was thinking you and I could go grab dinner somewhere tonight."

"Just me and you?" she asked.  "Out in public together."

He gave her a lopsided grin.  "Well, the boys pretty much told me they've figured out that we're seeing one another."

She raised her eyebrows and chuckled.  "Yeah, MJ said the same thing."

"MJ?"

"Michelle," YN explained.  "She told me her friends call her MJ, so I guess I'm one of her friends now."

"You're amazing, do you know that?" Peter asked as he shook his head.  "You haven't been here a week yet and you've already gotten the two toughest kids to fall in love with you."

She shrugged.  "Maybe they're just taking pity on me since I'm new here."

"Naw," he said, waving away her theory.  "These kids are smart.  They see how awesome you are, just like I do."  He gave her a heart-stopping smile.  "So, about dinner.  What do you say?"

"I'd love to go to dinner with you, Peter," she told him with a smile.  "Did you want to drive, or what?"

He dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck as peeked up at her from beneath his lashes.  "I was thinking we could make it a real date.  You know, we'd get dressed up and I'd come pick you up at Steve and Rowan's."

Her mouth dropped open for a second before she composed herself and snapped it shut.  "Wow.  I wasn't expecting that."  She took a moment to collect her thoughts.  "Like how dressed up?  Where were you thinking of going, or is that a surprise?"

"You haven't been to Pies and Pints yet, have you?" he asked.  "It's Wade's pizzeria, but it's a lot classier than most pizza joints."  He shrugged before answering her other question.  "It's not too dressy – definitely not black tie, but I definitely wouldn't go in my work clothes."

"Okay," she said as she pulled open the door of her truck.  "What time will you be picking me up?"

He looked down at his watch.  "Forty-five minutes work for you?"

She considered how long it would take her to grab a shower and actually put some effort into her appearance.  If Rowan helped her out, she could make it work.  "Okay.  I'll see you soon."

"I know I'm supposed to wait to do this at the end of the date, but oh well," he said just before he framed her face with his hands and brought his lips to hers.

She hadn't been expecting the kiss, but she wasn't about to turn down an opportunity to get her hands on him.  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she stepped closer and changed the angle of the kiss to deepen it.  When she heard the moan rise up within him, she felt a sense of euphoria settle over her.

She pulled away, but came back for a quick peck.  "Okay, enough of that.  You're eating into my allotted time to get ready.  Go grab a shower and don't forget to put on whatever cologne it is that you use."

He let her go and took a step back so she could get into the truck.  "You like the way I smell, huh?"

She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye.  "Peter Quill, I like everything about you."  

Not waiting for a response, she shut the door and started the engine.  As she drove down the driveway toward the main road, she saw Peter still standing where she'd left him.  Knowing she'd floored him, she allowed herself to smile the entire way back to Rowan's.

As soon as she opened the door, she started calling out for her friend.  "Rowan?  Where are you?"

The other woman came out of Steve's office looking a bit flustered.  "You're home early, are you okay?  Did something happen?"

YN paused for a moment to take in her friend's appearance before realization dawned on her.  "Were you and Steve. . .?"  Her eyes grew large and she tried to stifle the laughter that was threatening to overtake her.

Rowan adjusted her shirt and gave YN a knowing smile.  "We were just going over the books."

"Ah," YN said, nodding.  "Is that what we're calling it now?"

Steve appeared in the doorway, his hair still ruffled and his face flushed.  "Hey, YN.  Is something up?"

"Nothing that I can't handle on my own," she said with a wink as she started heading toward the stairs.  "You two go finish working on the books."

Rowan leaned over and gave Steve a quick kiss.  "You actually go finish the books and we'll pick up where we left of later."

"Is that a promise?" he asked as he ran his hands down her back.

Rowan grabbed his hands before they could find their way to her backside.  With a chastising look she said, "Steven Grant Rogers, you're incorrigible.  Go finish working on payroll while I see what's going on with YN."

Rowan took a little longer to make it up the stairs, so by the time she made it YN's room, the other woman was standing in front of her closet with a scowl on her face.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," YN said as she sat on the edge of her bed.  "Things are actually really great.  Peter asked me out to dinner tonight, but I don't think I have anything nice to wear."  She looked up at Rowan hopefully.  "You wouldn't happen to have a cute dress that would fit me, would you?"

"Wait a second," Rowan said, holding up her hand.  "Peter asked you out on a date?  To a restaurant?"

A huge grin spread across YN's face.  "Yes. He's taking me to Pies and Pints.  He said it wasn't too fancy, but I haven't had an excuse to dress up in forever and, I don't know, I guess I just want him to see me in something other than a pair of blue jeans and a chambray shirt."

"There's something you're not telling me," Rowan deduced as she studied her friend.  "What else happened today."

YN could feel the embarrassment start to wash over again as she remembered the fisherman that had caught them by the riverbank.  "Peter took me to the Bluestone Resort today to book the camping trip for the kids.  We may have had a picnic by the river that might have gotten us both arrested for public indecency if we hadn't been interrupted."

"Okay," Rowan said as she grabbed YN's hand and hauled her to her feet.  "You two need to have sex, and soon.  I've got a dress that will knock his socks off," she paused to look over her shoulder, "as well as the rest of his clothes."

Once YN had showered and Rowan had helped her with her makeup, she'd slipped on the borrowed dress and made a few turns in front of the full-length mirror in her room.  "You wore this dress?  Around here?"

Rowan smiled.  "I actually borrowed it from Kieran.  She bought this dress to wear to my wedding.  Bucky had offered to be her date and she wanted something to drive him wild.  It obviously worked.  I borrowed it a few months ago, and. . ." she looked down at her belly and gave it a loving rub, ". . .that's how this little one came to be."

"So it's like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, except everyone wears it to get laid," YN mused as she turned to look at her bare back in the mirror one more time.

"Here," Rowan said as she handed YN an old, vintage soft denim jacket.  "Wear this with it and only take it off when you're ready to take things to the next level."

"Okay," YN said as she slipped on the jacket.  "I'm really going to. . ." She stopped speaking when she heard the sound of the doorbell.  Giving Rowan a worried look, she began scrambling around looking for her shoes.

Steve frowned at the door.  No one he knew ever bothered to ring the bell, so he had no clue who would be waiting on the other side.  When he pulled open the door and found Peter standing there with a bouquet of flowers, his mouth dropped open.  "What are you doing?"

"Is YN ready?" Peter asked.  He knew how nervous he felt and he could tell from the look on Steve's face that he wasn't doing a great job of hiding it.

Steve glanced up toward the second floor of the house before looking back at Peter with a steely look in his eye.  "You and I need have a little chat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 18 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  Their bet may have finally come to an end if that old fisherman hadn’t interrupted them! What did you think of her conversation with Nat? Do you really think Peter wants a family, but he’s too stubborn to admit it? Did you like her conversation with Michelle? I love her character so much! Some of you might remember that little black dress from South Hills. . .I thought it would be fun to bring that back into the story! What do you think is going to happen on their date? What about Steve? What is his “little chat” going to consist of? I look forward to your comments!_


	19. Chapter 19

Peter followed Steve into his office with a look of confusion on his face.  "What's up man?"

Steve turned around and leaned back against his desk with his arms crossed over his chest.  "What are you doing?"

Peter shrugged and eyed Steve warily.  "I'm taking YN out to dinner.  Why?  What do you think I'm doing?"

Steve took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers.  "Look, I know YN said she told you about her past, but I'm not sure you understand. . ."

"Hold up a second, bro," Peter interrupted.  "Are you trying to tell me that I don't understand the hell that woman's been through?  'Cause I think you forget what I do for a living."

"You're good at dealing with kids that have been abused," Steve said, letting out a sigh.  "But YN isn't one of your kids."

"No, she's not."  Peter was staring to get angry.  "She's an amazing woman who was married to a piece of shit that beat her and raped her simply because he thought she belonged to him and he could do whatever the hell he wanted.  She was traumatized from the years of abuse, but he didn't break her, Steve."  Peter laid the flowers down and ran his hand through his hair.  "You saw the way she was when she first came here – she was as skittish as a newborn colt – but she's not like that now.  I can't take all the credit for that, but I am damn sure going to take some of it."

"YN wants a family someday," Steve said, trying to get his friend to see reason.  "And we both know you're not really cut out for the whole husband and father deal."

"Maybe I am."  Peter was shocked at the words that had just come out of his mouth.  Did he really believe that?

Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head.  "It was just a few weeks ago that you were giving Bucky and Vis a hard time about buying engagement rings."

"You don't think I'm happy for them – for you and Rowan?" Peter was taken aback by Steve's implication.  "You guys are my best friends.  I give you all hard time because that's who I am, but I'm so damn happy that you guys are getting everything you ever dreamed of."

Steve cocked his head as a thought popped into his head.  "Are you in love with her?"

"What?" Peter asked, brushing off Steve's question.  "No."  Steve continued to stare at him and Peter could feel himself start to squirm.  "I mean, c'mon, I've only known her for about a week.  You can't fall in love with someone that quickly."

"I fell in love with Rowan the first day I laid eyes on her," Steve countered.  "Look at Sam and Teaghan – they got married the first night they met."

"What about Bucky?" Peter countered.  "He knew Kieran for years before he fell in love with her."

"But she'd been in love with him since she was a kid," Steve pointed out with a smug smile.  "Everyone around us falls in love quickly, but I think it's because we know a good thing when we find it.  I think you know it too, you're just not ready to admit it."

"It doesn't matter how I feel or don't feel," Peter argued.  "She's not looking for anything serious right now, and I can't blame her.  I'll let this fling run its course until she's ready to move on and then I'll step aside and let her get on with her life."

Steve straightened up and clapped his friend on the shoulder.  "Take it from someone who's seen the love of his life in the arms of another man – you will not handle it well."

Steve walked out of the room leaving Peter behind to consider his words.  As Steve stepped out into the living room, he saw YN and Rowan coming down the stairs.  He eyed YN's outfit, one eyebrow shooting up in question.  "I know that dress."

YN's eyes grew large and she turned back to Rowan.  "Maybe this isn't a great idea."

"No, it looks good on you," Steve said, sorry he'd made her doubt herself.  "Peter's in the office, he'll be out in a second."

Rowan's eyes narrowed.  "Steve Grant Rogers.  What did you say to him?"

Steve gave YN a wink.  "I just told him to treat her like a lady and have her home at a decent hour."

"It's like he thinks we're a couple of teenagers," Peter joked as he walked out behind Steve.  He took one look at YN and he could feel his mouth go dry.  "Wow.  You look amazing."

For some reason she felt like a teenager again.  Spotting the flowers in his hand, she asked, "Are those for me?"

Peter looked down at his hand and then quickly held them out for her.  "Yeah.  I didn't know what kind you liked, so I just got a bunch of different ones."

She took the bouquet and buried her nose in the fragrant blooms.  "They're beautiful.  Thank you."

Rowan reached over and took them from YN.  "I'll get these in a vase for you and put them in your room."

YN leaned over and gave her friend a hug.  "Thank you," she whispered in her ear.  "Don't wait up."

Peter held out a hand and YN took it as he led her toward the front door.  "You two have a nice evening.  I'll see you tomorrow for poker night."

"Goodnight, guys," YN said with a little wave.  "Have fun working on the books tonight."

Rowan slipped her arm around Steve's waist and pulled him closer to her.  "Oh, we will."

 

The restaurant wasn't at all what YN had been expecting.  The interior space had an industrial feel with exposed beams and pipes in the ceiling and raw masonry along the walls.  There was a long bar that started near the entrance and extended along the left side of the room.  Like Peter had said, most people were dressed nicely, but it definitely wasn't a formal atmosphere.  

The waiter led them through the long dining room to a semi-enclosed space in the back.  The "walls" consisted of clear vinyl panels that could be lowered and raised according to the weather.  Since it was a nice evening, they were all raised so that the patrons had a view of the wooded area just behind the restaurant.

When YN opened the menu, she was yet again shocked by the variety of pizza combinations.  She'd been expecting the usual offerings of toppings, but Wade's pizzeria leaned more toward gourmet options that included Gorgonzola, balsamic reductions, sriracha marinated shrimp, and Capicola.  The beer and wine menu had also been a shock.  In addition to traditional favorites, there were some local brews as well as IPA's, lagers, ales, and ciders.  After a few minutes of looking over the options, she decided to let Peter order for the both of them.  Everything looked amazing, but she figured Peter would know what was best.

"Have I told you how amazing you look tonight?" Peter asked once the waiter had taken their order and gone back to the kitchen.

She couldn't keep the goofy grin off of her face.  "Yes, but that doesn't mean I want you to stop."  She gave him a wink and took a drink of her water.  "You look nice, too."

Peter shifted in his seat.  He was used to women telling him how good he looked, but coming from her meant something different.  He'd tried to make it seem like he wasn't trying too hard, but he'd spent the entire forty-five minutes fixing his hair and trying on different combinations of shirts and jeans.  He'd finally decided on a soft grey t-shirt with a three-button collar, a pair of newer blue jeans, and his favorite red leather motorcycle jacket.

With a nonchalant look on his face, he answered her.  "Thank you."

She couldn't drag her eyes away from the buttons on his shirt.  He'd left the first two undone, but had buttoned the third.  For some reason, she wanted to reach over and pop it through the hole, just so she could see more of him.  She figured he was well aware of how tightly the shirt stretched across his pecs and had purposefully doffed the leather jacket as soon as they'd been shown to their seats so she would have no choice but to stare at his muscular physique.

"Well, well, well," Wade said as he walked up to their table with a huge smile on his face.  "Look who finally decided to come visit my fine establishment."  He turned away from the couple in front of him and looked straight ahead.  "I'm not talking about these two, you know.  I slave away day and night in that kitchen just waiting for someone to stop by.  It's almost as though I'm not the main character and the writer only uses me to move her plot along.  Not that I mind being used, I'd just prefer it if I weren't wearing so many clothes."

"Wade, who are you talking to?" Peter asked with a look on his face that let everyone know he thought Wade was an idiot.

"No one," Wade said with feigned innocence as he looked straight ahead again and winked.  "So, what brings you two kids in tonight?"  He didn't give them a chance to answer before he started speaking again.  "Oh, let me guess - you're here to fuel up before you head off to save the galaxy."  He smacked himself in the forehead.  "No, no, no.  This is an AU, Wade."

"In case you haven't figured it out," Peter said to YN with a shake of his head.  "Wade has a few screws loose and doesn't make sense half the time."

Wade took a seat next to YN and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.  "Peter's just jealous because I know what's going to happen next."  He saw Peter glaring at him, but it didn't deter him.  "Nice dress, by the way.  Last time I saw someone wearing it, I kissed her.  I regret that decision now.  Don't get me wrong, it was a great kiss, but it put me on the Winter Soldier's radar.  Talk about a man with a great work ethic.  HYDRA definitely lost a gem there."

"You really don't care what people think of you, do you?" YN asked with a laugh.  "Tell me, though.  Was it Kieran or Rowan that you kissed?"

"It was Kieran," Peter said with a knowing smile.  "I remember that night."

"That was a fun wedding," Wade reminisced with a sigh.  "I'm looking forward to the next one."

"I don't think Bucky and Kieran have set a date yet," Peter said, his eyebrows knitting together as he tried to remember if anyone had mentioned it lately.

"Oh, no, no, no," Wade laughed shaking his head.  "The next wedding is going to be a vision, complete with scarlet red roses and amber colored gemstones."  He let go of YN and stood.  "Looks like your pizza is here, so enjoy.  If you need anything, just let me know.  I'm always happy to serve."

YN shook her head and started to laugh as the waiter placed the pizza in the middle of the table.  "I don't know if I'll ever get used to him."

"Wade is definitely an acquired taste," Peter said as his eyes grew big and he shook his head.  "None of us can figure out what Nat sees in him."

"Really?" YN asked, looking at him in disbelief.  "You're joking, right?"  When Peter gave her a blank stare, she shook her head.  "Men."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She took a breath and tried to find the right words.  "You guys are always so worried about upholding your ideals of masculinity.  Wade is gorgeous – like action hero gorgeous.  You can tell from the way he moves that he's got some moves. Nat is pretty adamant that she's only in it for the sex, so you know it's got to be pretty amazing."  She paused and cocked her head.  "He's also funny.  I bet he'd be a lot of fun to hang out with."

"So, let me get this straight," Peter said as he served her a slice of pizza.  "Nat only tolerates Wade because he's good looking, funny, and decent in the sack?"

"Hmmm," she said with a smile.  "Why do you think I'm with you?"  She took a bite of her pizza and moaned in pleasure when the combinations of flavors exploded on her tongue.  "This is amazing."

Peter nodded his head.  "Yeah, the pizza's great, but back to what we were talking about.  You think I'm like Wade?"

"Don't you?"

"No," he said feeling offended by her comparison. 

"You're not good looking?" she asked, knowing she was going to have to walk him through this to see her point of view.

"I don't want to sound conceited, but yes, I know I'm a very good looking man," he said with as much humility as he could muster.

"Then you're not funny?"

He let out a sigh of frustration.  "No, I'm hilarious.  Just ask anyone."

"Ah," she said, wanting to make her next point even more dramatic.  "Then you must be horrible in bed."

"What?" he yelled, drawing the attention of the few other patrons outside with them.  Looking abashed and lowing his voice, he continued.  "I'm amazing in bed – you'll see once you finally loose this bet."

She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table with her chin in her hands.  "So, what you're telling me is that you and Wade have all the same qualities, which essentially means you're the same."

"Wade is weird," Peter argued as he continued to eat.  "Dude talks to himself all of the time.  I'm not weird."

"Who's Star-Lord?"  She waited to see how he would react and she wasn't disappointed.  

His cheeks turned red and his eyes widened in disbelief.  "Who told you about that?  Steve? Rowan?  I'm going to kill them."

"So, I guess I already know what your most erotic fantasy is, huh, space boy?"  She was enjoying this more than she should, but Wade had been nice to her when she'd first gotten into town.  While she could admit he was a little odd, he seemed like a genuinely nice guy that didn't get enough respect from Peter and his friends.

"I've already got the green body paint and the fuchsia colored wig back at home," he whispered seductively.  

"Wait," she said holding up a hand.  "I have to be the alien?"

"Well, yeah," he said, looking a bit embarrassed.  "Alien chicks are hot."

"Superman is an alien and he's not green," she pointed out as she continued to eat her pizza.  As an afterthought, she added, "hottest alien on the planet."

"This is my fantasy," he reminded her.  

She gave him a sickeningly sweet smile.  "Aw, you still think you're going to win this bet.  That's adorable."

"You're the one who can't keep their hands of me, sweetheart," he said as he mimicked her smile.

She was ready to fire another retort back at him, but the waiter interrupted her.  Taking the rest of their pizza to box it up for them, he left the check and went back to the kitchen.  Peter took out his wallet and put a few bills into the small black folder.

Once they were alone again, she focused her attention on him.  "If I remember correctly, you were begging me to stop earlier today."

"I was driving," he said, pointing a finger at her.  "Did you want me to wreck the truck?"

"You could have pulled over at any time," she countered.  She was enjoying herself more than she should, but she knew she needed to get him worked up before she played her ace in the hole.

"All you had to do was ask." He sat back in his chair with a smug look on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest.

She could tell that he'd thought he'd won this round, so she pretended to look defeated.  "Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?"

Her sudden change of topic confused him for a moment.  "No, it's fine."

She made a show of fanning her face as she rose from her chair.  Turning her back to him, she dropped her shoulders and let the denim jacket slide down her arms.  She could tell the moment he realized that her dress had no back from the quick intake of breath.  Spinning back around, she felt the hem of the dress ride up her thighs and she knew from the glazed look in his eye that she had him right where she wanted him.

"Are you wearing a. . .?" His voice trailed off as he tried to figure out how she was managing to wear anything else under that flimsy excuse for a dress.

"I thought you'd seen this dress before?" she asked as innocently as she could as she leaned forward on the table to expose a glimpse of cleavage.

Peter had been too caught up in the memory of Bucky wanting to kill Wade to remember that it was that dress that had set him on edge to begin with.  "That dress should be illegal."

"If you want me to take it off, all you have to do is ask."

The waiter came back with the to-go box and Peter handed him the check holder.  "Keep the change."  He stood up abruptly and grabbed her hand.

She barely had time to grab the denim jacket off the back of the chair before he began pulling her through the restaurant.  She tried to keep the smile off of her face, but she was thrilled that her plan had worked and she hoped he was taking her back to his house to finalize their bet.

Once they were beside his truck, he spun her around and pinned her between him and the passenger side door.  He reached down and began to rub the hem of her dress between his fingers while his eyes silently asked for her permission.  When she popped the bottom button of his shirt out of its hole, he knew he had his answer.

Leaning in, he brushed his lips over hers as he shifted his hand to slide along the length of her thigh.  He felt, more than heard, her quick intake of breath.  With her lips now parted, he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss.  

He could feel himself starting to lose control, so he took a step back and waited for her to look at him. Her eyes were slow to open, but when she finally focused her gaze on him, he could see the passion clouding them.

"We're going back to my place," he told her as he reached behind her for the door handle.

She kept clenching and unclenching her hands as Peter struggled to stay under the speed limit back to his house.  She knew if she got her hands on him before they made it back to Blackwater Falls, that they'd end up having sex in the front seat of his truck.  While that might be appealing later on, she didn't want her first time with him to be in such a constrictive space.  The looks he kept shooting her way let her know that she wasn't the only one having a hard time keeping their hands to themselves.

Peter put the truck in park, and got out to go around to open her door.  She wasn't waiting on him, though.  Slamming the door behind her, she met him at the front of the truck.  For the second time that night, she found herself pinned against the vehicle while Peter's mouth teased and tormented her.

His hands had gone back to the hem of her dress and as he slowly grazed them along the outside of her thighs, she felt her legs begin to quiver.  If it weren't for the truck behind her and Peter in front of her, she would be nothing more than a puddle of lust in the middle of his driveway.

Peter's hands continued sliding higher and higher, dragging the hem of her dress up as he explored.  When he got to her hip and still hadn't met any resistance, he pulled back and gave her a disbelieving look.  "Are you wearing anything under this dress?"

"Why don't you take me inside and find out," she teased, leaning in to nip at his bottom lip.

Needing no further encouragement, he grabbed her hand and began walking toward the front door.  The second he closed it behind her, he had her backed up against the hard slab of wood, unable to keep his hands or his mouth off of her.

Now that they were in the privacy of Peter's house, she did what she'd been wanting to do all night.  Grabbing the hem of his shirt, she began tugging it up his torso.  Once he realized what she was doing, he broke away long enough to reach behind his head and grasp the collar to pull it off.  Bracing his hands against the door on either side of her head, he let her make the next move.

She'd gotten a glimpse of his chest this afternoon at the riverbank, but now she was free to let her hands roam over all of the exposed flesh before her.  Her fingers glided over the ridges and planes of his abdomen and chest before sliding along the curve of his shoulders.  She could see and feel the tension within him as he struggled to let her get used to the feel of him beneath her hands.  

When she'd had her fill, she forced herself to meet his eyes again.  "Take me to bed, or lose me forever."

She saw the confusion in his eyes for just a moment before a wide grin spread across his face.

"Did you just quote one of the best movies of the 80s?" he asked as he leaned in to lightly brush his lips across hers.

One corner of her mouth lifted in a smirk.  "If you're referring to _Top Gun_ – the _best_ 80s movie ever – then yes, I did."

" _Footloose_ is the best 80s movie ever, sweetheart," he argued.  "Kevin Bacon is an icon."

"I'll see your Kevin Bacon and raise you Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Adrian Pasdar, and Meg Ryan."

"I'll give you Meg Ryan," Peter said after a beat.  "She was a very close second to Alyssa Milano on my list of celebrity crushes as a kid."

"Are you going to talk about pop culture references all night, or am I going to have to go home and take care of things myself?" she asked as she reached down and began dragging the hem of her dress up her thighs.

"Your ego is writing checks your body can't cash," Peter teased.

"Oh, my body is perfectly capable of keeping up with my ego," she fired back at him.  "You'd know that by now if we weren't still making out in the foyer like a couple of teenagers."

She let out a squeal of surprise when he reached down and scooped her up in his arms.  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned in and began to kiss along his jaw as he made his way up the stairs to his bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 19 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! What did you think of Steve’s little chat with Peter? Do you think he’d really be willing to let her move on with someone else? Funny story, I actually went to the restaurant mentioned in this part (it’s a real chain that started near my hometown) right after I wrote this part. It was surreal to sit in the outdoor space and read over the menu just like she had! What did you think of Wade? Don’t you just love him? It looks like the bet may finally be off unless I decide to be cruel to you guys again! So, who actually won??? I look forward to your comments!_


	20. Chapter 20

As Peter crossed the threshold into his bedroom, he gently lowered her feet to the ground, but he continued to hold onto her – he finally had her in his arms and he wasn't ready to let her go anytime soon.  She didn't seem eager to be away from either as her arms stayed wrapped around his neck.  Her fingers were teasing the hair along the nape of his neck like she normally did, and it was slowly driving him crazy.  He'd never really known that was one of his erogenous zones, but her curious hands and mouth were helping him learn things about himself he'd never known before.

He leaned in to kiss her again.  He didn't know why, but kissing her was slowly becoming his favorite pastime.  There was something about the way she poured herself into each kiss – almost innocent yet wanton at the same time.  He couldn't describe it in a way that could do it justice, but he knew that the taste and feel of her mouth had become addictive and he couldn't get enough of her.  A part of him would have been happy to stand there and kiss her all night, but another part of him knew he'd never truly be satisfied until he had her in his bed.

Finally dragging himself away from her seductive mouth, he brushed his fingertips down the sides of her face.  Her eyes were still closed, but there was a dreamy smile on her face that threatened to melt his heart.  When she opened her eyes and met his gaze, it took his breath away.  Her face may have been soft and serene, but her eyes were alight with passion and fire.  She took a step back and with a smirk on her face began to raise the hem of her dress.  He swallowed hard and waited to see if she would actually take it off, or if she was just teasing him.

She saw the hungry look in his eyes and she knew her eyes were a mirror of his.  She felt like she'd been waiting for years to get to this point with him, but in reality it had only been a few days.  She knew she should be wary of how quickly things were moving, but she was only having a bit of fun, right?  Shooting him a wink, she slowly turned around and finished pulling the dress over her head.  She could tell from his gasp that he hadn't been expecting her to be wearing so little under her dress.

She was about to turn around when she felt him at her back.  He wasn't touching her yet, but she could feel the heat emanating off of his body.  She still had the dress clutched to her chest and her breath had started to become ragged as she waited to see what he would do.

He'd almost had a heart attack when he'd realized that all that she had on underneath that ridiculous excuse for a dress was a skimpy black thong. He'd taken a step toward her without even realizing that he'd done it, but he'd been compelled to close the distance between them.  He could see her shoulders rising and falling as her breathing became heavier.  He wanted his hands on her, but he stopped himself – he had to do this right.

Leaning in close to her ear he began to whisper.  "I want my hands on you.  I want to feel your bare skin beneath my fingers as I explore every square inch of your body."  He paused for a moment when he heard her sigh and she drop her head.  Taking it as a good sign, he kept going.  "Once my hands have mapped every curve and angle, I want to go back and kiss every spot that made you writhe with pleasure."

She would have been content if he'd thrown her on the bed and ravished her, but after hearing his seductive words, she knew he would be true to his word and follow through on his promises.  Her frustration level was at an all time high, but she had no doubts that he would make sure she was completely satisfied – most likely a few times – before the night was through.

Dropping the dress at her feet, she turned around to face him.  His eyes were focused on hers which surprised her considering her state of undress.  Emboldened by the fact that he really was waiting on her consent to his suggestions, she closed the distance between them as she fitted her body against his.  His jeans were rough against her bare thighs and stomach, but the feel of his chest pressed against hers was electrifying.  

"What are you waiting for?" she teased, knowing full well that he was waiting for her permission.

A low growl emanated from deep within him, echoing through the quiet room.  A sound that feral should have scared her, but all it did was intensify her desire for him.  When his arms encircled her and his hands began sliding up her back, she thought her legs were going to give out beneath her.  Once his hands had made it up to her shoulders, he began to slide them lazily back down toward her hips.  She buried her face in the crook of his neck and bit her lip to keep from crying out.

With one hand still on her hip, he used the other one to lift her chin.  When she met his gaze again, he slowly started shaking his head.  "Uh-uh.  This is a two way street, darlin'.  I need you to tell me what you want."  He gave her a wink.  "Plus, I really like the little sounds you make when you forget you're supposed to be a good girl."

She felt a moment of embarrassment before she remembered how much she loved hearing the moans of pleasure she elicited from him.  Why wouldn't he feel the same way about her?  Shedding those last few vestiges of shame from her past, she gave him a sultry smile and stepped out of his embrace.  When she saw his gaze rake over her, she felt wanton and sexy.

She reached behind her for the bed as she continued to back away from him.  When she felt the silky material of the comforter she stopped and leaned back a little.  "Take off your pants."

One eyebrow raised in shock as a slow smile spread across his face.  He did as she asked, toeing off his boots and socks as he hurriedly stripped.  Once his jeans were in a heap beside her dress, he paused for a second, his thumbs hooked in the waistband of his boxer briefs.  "All of it?"

"All of it."  She was really starting to warm up to the idea of him following her every command.  Her mind was spinning as she tried to figure out what she wanted him to do to her first.  Her thoughts were interrupted when he finally rid himself of the last article of clothing he was wearing.  She felt her throat go dry at the sight of him as other parts of her body began to burn with a need only could fulfill.

He walked the short distance across the room to where she leaned against the bed and pointedly looked down at the thong she was still wearing.  "You're a little overdressed, don't you think?"

She reached out and began to drag her fingers down his chest.  She stopped when she heard his sharp inhalation as her fingers grazed just below his waist.  "I thought you'd want the pleasure," she purred.

He reached down to grasp her hips as he sat her on the edge of the bed.  Hooking his thumbs into the thin straps he began to tug.  She lifted her hips off the bed and leaned back on her elbows as he took his time, his fingers exploring the curves of her legs as he slowly finished undressing her.  With a flick of his wrist, the thong joined the rest of their clothes and he began to slide the heels off of her feet.  Once she was completely devoid of clothes he began the journey back up her body, but this time his hands were tracing along the inside of her legs.

She thought she was going to die of pleasure as he followed through on his earlier promise.  His hands discovered places on her body that she hadn't know existed – places where just the brush of his fingers had her almost falling over the edge.  True to his word, once he was sure that he'd found every sensitive spot she possessed, he switched from light caresses to hot, open-mouthed kisses that did having her tumbling into the abyss again and again before he was satisfied that he'd accomplished what he'd set out do.

She wanted to show him the same consideration, but by the time she'd come back to her senses, he was desperate to find his own release.  Knowing that this was just the beginning of their time together, she silently vowed that she would get her chance to learn his body the way he'd learned hers.  She was vaguely aware of the sound of a foil packet ripping before she felt the weight of his body settling over her.  She forced her eyes to focus on him as her hands traced along the edges of his face.

"Are you sure?" he asked although he was almost positive he knew the answer to his question.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Peter."  To prove her point, she pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him with every ounce of passion that remained in her body.

He'd shown her pleasure she'd never thought possible, but it was nothing compared to finally coming together in the most intimate way two people could.  He was patient and slow, constantly aware of her every sigh and moan, and for that she was grateful.  It had been a long time since she'd been with a man this way, and although she could tell that it was a strain for him to do so, he was as gentle as he could be as he slowly brought her to the edge again.  He'd waited until she'd tumbled over before he quickly followed behind her.

As they lay side by side struggling to catch their breath, they turned to look at one another.  With a sigh, she shook her head.  "Give me a minute to recover and then we'll get out that green body paint."

"What?" he asked, his breath still coming in pants.

"The body paint," she repeated.  "You know, the Star-Lord fantasy."

"Wait a second," he said as he rolled to his side to get a better look at her.  "You think I won this bet?"

She turned to face him, using one hand to prop up her head as she tried to figure out if he was teasing her again.  "Well I sure as hell didn't win the bet."

"I think you forget that I was the one that dragged you out of a crowed restaurant a few hours ago."

"And I was the one that insisted that you take me to bed."

"Well hell," he said with a shake of his head.  "I think it's a draw."

She threw back her head and started laughing.  "All of that and we both lost?"

He reached over and traced the outline of her jaw with his finger.  "No, sweetheart.  We both won – big time."

 

They'd waited until they'd caught their breath before heading to the bathroom for a shower.  Neither one had intended for anything to happen, but they just couldn't seem to keep their hands off of one another.  She knew riding a horse was going to be torture the next day, but now that she'd had a taste of the pleasure he could bring her, she wasn't about to deny herself any opportunity to be with him.

Once they'd finally gotten around to the bathing portion of the shower, the water had started to turn cold.  With a squeal, she'd frantically tried to rinse the shampoo from her hair before the frigid water turned her toes to ice.  Dripping wet and laughing like two kids, they each grabbed a towel and began rubbing their skin dry as they tried to warm back up.

"You need a bigger hot water tank," she told him as she wrapped the towel around herself and tucked the corner in under her arm.

"Sweetheart, my tank is plenty big enough."

She burst out laughing and playfully shoved him.  "Don't be crude."

He wrapped his towel around his waist and sauntered toward her, backing her up against the sink.  "We wouldn't have run out all the hot water if you hadn't insisted on getting up close and personal with my. . ."

She placed a finger on his lips to keep him from finishing his statement.  "I don't recall you complaining one bit, mister."

"I'm not complaining," he assured her once she had removed her finger.  "I'm just pointing out the facts."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to start taking separate showers then," she mused with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I'll call the plumber tomorrow and have a new hot water tank installed by next week."

"I'm teasing," she told him, scared that he would actually follow through on her suggestion.  "It's not like I'm going to be here every night."

His smile faltered.  "You're not staying?"

She saw the hurt in his eyes and immediately regretted her words.  "It's not that I don't want to, it's just. . ."

"The kids?  Steve and Rowan?  The rest of the staff?"

"It's not that," she said, trying to figure out how to explain it to him.  "Tonight was great.  I mean, really, really great."

"But?"

"This is all so new to me, and while I don't regret a single thing that happened here tonight, I'm just not sure I'm ready for anything other than sex."  She could tell that she was doing a horrible job of explaining herself, so she tried again.  "I'm just not sure how I would handle sleeping next to a man again.  I still have some pretty horrible nightmares, and I'm just worried that I would wake up and not know it was you beside me."

Suddenly understanding, he allowed himself a moment to feel like a jackass before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.  "I'm so sorry, YN.  I wasn't thinking.  Please forgive me for being so selfish."

All of the tension within her faded once she realized that he'd understood her concerns.  How had she gotten so lucky to have a found a man that was willing to put her needs above his own?  She tried not to read too much into it, though.  He was just being a thoughtful and considerate man – nothing more.  "There's nothing to forgive.  This is my burden to bear, but I'm glad you understand."

Her words cut straight through him.  He knew they'd gone into this arrangement with the understanding that it was supposed to stay casual, but like an idiot, he'd gone and caught feelings for her.  Now he had to figure out a way to convince her that he could be the kind of man she could settle down with and start a family.  But how?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 20 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  Whew! Is it hot in here, or is it just me?? It took us twenty chapters to get here, but it was worth the wait, don’t you think? Do you think Peter is right and that they both ended up winning the bet? I’d always intended for it to be her, but once I started writing the last part, I thought it would be a nice twist for them both to give in at the same time. I love that they have so much fun with one another - I think that sometimes people forget that you’re supposed to have fun and be able to laugh with the person you’re with. I hated to bring up the memory of Billy again at the end, but she is still healing from his abuse and this is the first relationship she’s had since she left him. She’s making progress, but she still has a few more roadblocks to overcome before she’s finally ready to move on. Peter’s ready to step up now, but do you think she’s ready to see him as a guy she could be with forever? I look forward to your comments!_


	21. Chapter 21

There was a part of her that had wanted to stay with Peter, but she was scared.  She'd been free of Billy for over a year, but there were still times when she woke up from a nightmare and could almost feel his hot, rancid breath against the back of her neck.  She thought back to the night Rowan had stayed over with her in the cabin.  She was thankful that she hadn't hurt her friend or her baby after that particularly horrible nightmare.  While she was certain that she couldn't physically hurt Peter, she was scared that if he saw her like that, it wouldn't matter how hard he tried – he'd start to see her in a different light.

She'd sworn that after she left Billy that she would take the necessary steps to regain the life she'd had before he'd taken control of her.  She'd moved back home and immediately found a therapist who had helped her sort through the years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.  Dr. Richards had helped her shift the blame for her predicament away from herself and onto to Billy where it rightfully belonged.  If it hadn't been for her ex-husband getting out of jail and trying to find her, she would probably still be in therapy now.  In fact, she should have already found a therapist here, but between the new surroundings, the new job, the new friends, and now a new relationship, she'd been putting it off.

She glanced over to study Peter's profile as the lights from passing cars illuminated it for her to see.  He was a good man and she'd been lucky to find him.  But he also scared her.  She could see herself falling for him, and while that was a dangerous endeavor giving his past history with women, it also wasn't wise considering hers.  Perhaps it was time that she found a professional to talk to – somehow who could help her sort out the feelings that she couldn't properly dissect at the moment.

Peter felt her eyes on him, and he knew she was overthinking again.  He felt like an idiot for forgetting that he wasn't dealing with one of usual conquests.  YN was a complicated woman, but he wasn't faulting her for that – he was just as complicated, if the truth be told.  No, he was angry with himself for pushing her too hard.  He'd let his wants and desires cloud the fact that she needed time to adjust to this new facet of their relationship.

He hated the feeling of distance between them, and he wanted to regain some semblance of the intimacy they'd just recently shared.  Taking a chance, he reached out and brushed his fingers along her hand as it lay in her lap.  When a smile spread across her face and her fingers laced with his, he let out a quiet sigh as the weight lifted off his shoulders.

"I had a lovely evening," YN said as he pulled up in front of Steve and Rowan's and put the truck in park.

He shifted in his seat so he could get a better look at her.  Reaching out, he trailed his knuckles along her jaw.  "I just hate that it has to end."

A devious smile spread across her face as she unclipped her seatbelt and scooted across the bench seat toward him.  "Oh, you're not getting rid of me that easily, Peter Quill.  I'm nowhere near being finished with you yet."

Peter closed his eyes and leaned his head back.  "Thank God.  I don't think I could've handled it if this had only been a one-night stand."

She leaned in and kissed him, her lips just barely brushing over his as she teased him.  "Oh, is that right?"

He let out a low, playful growl and pulled her closer to him.  He would've preferred to have had her in his lap, but the steering wheel was in his way.

Pulling back with a laugh, she leaned back in for one last kiss before scooting back toward her side of the truck.  When she made to open the door, he quickly stopped her and jumped out of the truck to come around and open the door for her.

She shook her head.  "You don't have to do this."

"I want to do this."

"Then I'll shut up."

She reached back into the truck and grabbed the clothes she'd worn earlier in the night.  Peter had been kind enough to lend her an old t-shirt and some baggy sweatpants so she didn't have to put that ridiculous dress back on.  What she hadn't told him was that she fully intended to keep his borrowed clothes – at least until they lost his scent.  She'd reasoned with herself that if she wore his clothes to bed she could familiarize herself with the way he smelled and that would help her get over her anxiety of sleeping in the same bed with him.  While that might have been true, it was only part of the reason.  If she were being honest with herself, she just liked the way he smelled and his clothes were soft and comfortable.

"Are you going to walk me to the door?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"Of course.  I am a proper gentleman after all."

She let out a snort of laughter as they climbed the front steps and walked across the porch.  Rowan had been sweet enough to leave the light on for her and she reminded herself to thank her friend in the morning.  Turning back to Peter, she laced her fingers behind his neck and waited until his gaze focused on hers.

"I wasn't joking earlier.  Tonight was amazing."

He slipped his hands under the hem of the t-shirt she was wearing and let his fingers trail over the small of her back.  "It definitely made my top five."

"Oh, I see.  It was good, but not quite up to taking the top spot?"

He leaned in and whispered against her lips.  "You can't know which night will be the best until there's no more nights left to live.  So, you've still got a chance."

She rested her forehead against his.  "I feel like I should be rolling my eyes at how corny that sounds, but somehow it makes perfect sense."

With one last kiss, Peter pulled away and started walking backwards toward the steps.  "Get some sleep.  We've got a long day tomorrow."

Letting herself in the door, she paused and looked back at Peter.  Like a perfect gentleman, he was waiting for her to close the door before he left.  "Good night."

He opened the door of the truck, but at the last second, he peeked back around.  "Meet me in the barn a little early tomorrow."

It hadn't been a request, but she didn't care.  "I like the way you think."

 

Rowan had been up and waiting for her with a fresh pot of coffee the next morning.  YN checked the time on the clock above the stove and reasoned that she had a few minutes to spare before her early morning rendezvous with Peter.

Her friend had been eager to hear all the juicy details, but there were some things YN kept to herself.  It wasn't that she thought Rowan would judge her, but sometimes a woman just needed to keep some parts of her life to herself so she could cherish them on her own.

When she'd told Rowan about her planned tête-à-tête with Peter, her friend had all but kicked her out of the house with a demand for more details that evening.  With a smile and a skip in her step, she rushed out the door and toward the borrowed truck that would take her back to Blackwater Falls.

The early morning drive was peaceful, but YN's nerves were anything but.  She was anxious to be in Peter's arms again, and although she knew they wouldn't have time to fully sate their desires, she'd grown to love that jolt of lust first thing in the morning.

When she's slid open the barn door and found the lights already on, she knew he was already waiting for her.  Without a word, she ran straight into his arms as his lips came crashing down on hers.  Their lovemaking the night before hadn't slaked the passion between them, but instead, it had intensified it to the point that they were desperate for one another.

"Is this going to be an everyday thing now?" Maria asked with a huff as she turned to Scott.  "Why don't you ever make out with me in the morning like that?"

YN and Peter stopped kissing and gave Maria chagrined looks before turning back to Scott to see what he was going to say.

Scott stopped in the middle of the aisle and looked around as though someone might pop out of a stall and help him answer the question.  "Um. . .if that's what you want. . .I mean, of course I want to make out with you in the morning.  I want to make out with you all day long."

Maria turned around and gave Scott a sappy look.  "Aw, that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

Grabbing ahold of the jacket he'd left unzipped, Maria pulled him closer to her and kissed him.  

"We're having an odd effect on the people around us," YN mused aloud.  "First Steve and Rowan, and now Scott and Maria."

"Lust is in the air," Peter joked.

"I think it's supposed to be 'love.'"

"Yeah," Peter said as he pursed his lips together and nodded his head up and down quickly.  "But this isn't love – this is pure unadulterated lust.  And I like it."

YN shook her head as she started to back away.  "You're a perv."

"But I'm your perv."

She felt her heart skip a beat and mentally chided herself.  Why on earth would a comment that stupid make her feel so giddy.  Shaking her head, she headed for Nova's stall so she could start the task of mucking it out and feeding her horse.

 

The rest of the staff seemed to accept YN's new relationship with Peter, and as the days turned into weeks, most of the kids started picking up on it as well.  YN was surprised to see so many of them smiling and laughing whenever they caught Peter looking at her like a lovesick puppy.  Having the acceptance of her coworkers was nice, but knowing that kids "shipped it" – their words, not hers – gave her a sense of peace about the new relationship.

Grace had slowly begun to open up to her, and it wasn't unusual to find her and MJ sitting with her on the front porch working on homework or sketching quietly.  The two girls seemed inseparable unless Gabe invited Peter and Ned over the for the evening.  Grace had stopped hiding in her room when the other boys joined the group, and she was slowly becoming more comfortable around the others.  YN was proud of the progress Grace was making, but she knew the girl still had a long way to go before she was ready to fully trust someone again.

YN had slowly begun to spend almost every evening at Peter's.  They'd started cooking dinner together and she was slowly expanding his culinary skills to include more than his three go-to recipes.  The time they spent together after dinner never ceased to be dull or routine.  She still hadn't worked up the courage to spend the night, and thankfully Peter wasn't pushing her.

As they learned more about one another, YN found herself constantly drawn to be wherever he was.  She'd taken to spending most of her mornings and afternoons sitting with him in the office while he handled payroll and the other paperwork that was required to run the ranch.  They'd always take a break for lunch and either go for a ride, or sneak back to his house for a lazy afternoon in bed if the weather wasn't cooperating.

She'd talked to Rowan about starting therapy again, and Rowan had recommended a woman she'd known in undergrad that had started her own practice in Missoula.  Dr. Cho was a kind and sensitive woman, and YN had taken an instant liking to her.  The once a week trips into the city helped YN tackle some of her fears as she forced herself to spend the afternoons after her sessions visiting some of the shops along North Higgins Avenue in the downtown district.  She'd usually spend her time browsing through the local art in The Artists' Shop or in the Missoula Art Museum.  If the weather was nice, she'd grab something to eat from the Hob Nob and head to Caras Park to watch the children play on the carousel.

There was always a voice in the back of her mind that cautioned her not to get too complacent, though.  On more than one occasion she'd see a tall, lanky man with dark brown hair and her heart would seize up in her chest before he'd turn to laugh at something his companion said and she would realize that it wasn't Billy.  She would feel the anxiety attack coming and immediately find somewhere to go, whether it be a bench along the sidewalk, or into a shop along the street – just somewhere where she could breath and think for a few minutes.  She'd wanted to tell Peter about these instances, but she knew he would insist on accompanying her to Missoula, and she was determined that she would overcome her fears on her own.

She'd had one such instance the afternoon before they were scheduled to take the kids to Missoula for a trip to the mall and the movies.  It had been a lovely day – the sun was shining and there was a cool breeze coming off the river as she sat in the shade of a tree eating her lunch while the carousel played its happy tune and the giggles of children rang out as the animals they rode bobbed up and down.  Out of the corner of her eye she'd seen a flash of something dark and the blood in her veins had turned to ice.  Swallowing her fear, she turned to look, but whatever had caught her eye had gone as quickly as it had come.  Chalking it up to residual nerves from her therapy session, she focused on her breathing and the people around her, paying careful attention to the man making balloon animals, and the lady pushing the cart of Sno-Cones along the path.

Once she felt like she was in control of her fear again, she gathered what was left of her lunch and tossed it into a waste bin before making her way back to where she'd parked the truck. She knew it was nothing more than paranoia, but she couldn't help but feel as though someone was following her.  A part of her wanted to duck into alley to see if she was right, but she convinced herself that she was being irrational and quickened her steps.

By the time she made it back to the interstate, her nerves had abated and she felt in control again.  It wouldn't do for her to get all worked up the day before she was supposed to go back into the city with the kids.  They didn't need her falling apart on them – they were counting on her to be steady and sure of herself so they could feel comfortable in a strange environment.

When she pulled up to the ranch, she was surprised to see the entire area deserted.  Usually at this point in the afternoon, the staff was starting to mill around as they waited for the kids to get home from school.  She checked the barn first, but there was no one there, so she headed towards the main cabin.  When she opened the door, she was met with the sound of a dozen voices all speaking at once.  She stood in the doorway and assessed the situation as she tried to decide if they were all angry or excited.

Peter noticed her first and with a huge smile, grabbed something from a box on the table and headed her way.

"The new shirts are here," he told her as he handed her one.  "It seems like everyone is in agreement that they aren't too bad."

Finally understanding, she nodded her head and smiled as she took the shirt from him and held it up see what it looked like.  It was a simple black long-sleeved button down shirt with the Blackwater Falls logo embroidered on the left side just under the collar.

"I think they're nice."

"I was hoping they'd get here before our trip tomorrow.  Like you said, it'll be good for all of us to be wearing the same shirts so the kids can easily find us while we're in the city."

YN thought about the scare she'd had that afternoon and realized that these shirts would also give her a sense of peace about tomorrow's outing.  Being able to quickly look around and find someone she knew she could trust would go a long way in helping her feel comfortable about chaperoning a trip for a bunch a teenagers.

 

The following morning they let the kids choose which of the two vans they wanted to ride in, and to no one's surprise, they'd ended up with one van of girls and one van of boys.  YN had watched MJ hesitate for a moment until she'd seen Peter and Ned get into Robbie's car with Gabe.  Once the girl had realized that her Peter wouldn't be on the other van, she quickly followed Grace into the van with the other girls.  

She'd been worried about spending an entire day with teenagers in a city, but the crew at Blackwater Falls had everything planned out perfectly.  They'd started at the museum and YN was glad that she'd often visited here on her own since they spent most of the time making sure the kids didn't accidentally knock something over or touch something they shouldn't.  It was exasperating, but at the same time, she was glad to see these kids acting like any other normal teenagers in an art museum.

They'd gone to the mall next, and each pair of chaperones took a few kids and began to wander around.  Some of the boys had hoped they could hang out with Peter, but Grace and MJ had immediately sought her out and Peter was determined to stay with her throughout the day.  YN had been surprised that MJ hadn't wanted to go with Robbie's group, but somehow they'd all ended up going to the same stores, so they just combined their two groups.

Once they'd eaten lunch, they'd gone to see a movie.  The new Jurassic World had premiered a few weeks earlier and everyone was excited to finally see it.  Peter wasn't too happy when YN kept commenting on how sexy the lead actor was, but even he had to admit that Owen Grady was the kind of man everyone could fall in love with.

The kids weren't ready to head back to the ranch after the movie, so the staff relented and let them go back to the food court for dessert.  Most of the kids had flocked to the shop that sold giant slices of cookie cake, but YN and Peter had gone straight for the ice cream.  Looking over the selections, neither one of them could decide, so they each picked one and promised to share.

"How's yours?" Peter asked as he bit into the top scoop of ice cream he'd finally decided on.

YN had just taken a bite and could only nod as she tried to prevent a case of brain freeze from coming on.  Once she'd swallowed, she leaned over and took a bite of his.

"Wow, that's really good.  You want a taste of mine?"

Peter gave her a look of disbelief as he bit into the ice cream she'd offered him.  "Oh, man, that's amazing.  I should have gotten that."

"You want to trade?  I actually like yours better than mine anyway."

With a laugh, they traded cones and began to eat as they watched the kids stuff their faces with chocolate chip cookie slices loaded down with mountains of icing.  YN hoped that all that sugar wouldn't keep them up all night with stomachaches.

With one final headcount, they gathered up the kids and started ushering them toward the door.  YN paused for a moment and looked over her shoulder.  Peter came up beside her and looked back into the mall with her.

"What's up?  Did you forget something?"

"No," she said as she tried to shake off the feeling that someone was watching her.

Peter reached down for her hand as he opened the door leading to the parking lot.  "Let's head home."

Home, she thought.  She liked the sound of that.  With a smile on her face again, she leaned into Peter as they followed the rest of their group back to the vans.

 

_He'd been watching her for weeks.  The stupid whore had no idea how good he was at not being seen.  It had infuriated him to see her walking around the city like she didn't have a care in the world.  Didn't she know the hell she'd put him through with her lies?_

_He'd been plotting out his revenge for her as he hid in the shadows and watched her sit in the park staring at the kids on the carousel.  If she'd only been a good little wife, she'd have a brat of her own by now.  But no, she had to go and ruin it all.  He could have forgiven her if she hadn't told the cops all those lies about him.  Sure he'd had to keep her in line – she was a woman after all, and everyone knew that stupid bitches needed a firm hand or they started getting ideas.  It had been a mistake to let her go to Grad school – she'd started thinking she was better than him and he just couldn't have that.  No wife of his was going to pretend to be anything but what he said she could be._

_He'd already decided to grab her next Friday when she came back for her next therapy appointment.  Oh, he knew all about Dr. Cho.  There was another stupid whore who was no doubt spreading lies about him.  He'd take care of her after he was finished with Nina.  Dr. Cho he would just kill – he'd learned ways of killing a person and dumping the body so that no one would ever find them._

_As for Nina, he had something special planned for her.  When he was finished with his slut of a wife, no man would ever want to touch her again.  He'd suspected that there was another man in her life when he'd first found her.  He almost hadn't recognized her the first time he'd seen her, and he knew she'd changed her look to please some asshole she was screwing.  It had been so easy for him to get her to start dressing the way he wanted back in college, and he knew she'd never change.  She couldn't survive without a man telling her what to do, but that was okay with him – he'd get her back and then he'd make sure she never left him again._

_When he'd stumbled upon her in the mall, he'd almost thrown his entire plan out the window.  It was one thing to know there was another man screwing his wife, but it was a different situation altogether when a man had to look into the eyes of the prick that was taking something that didn't belong to him.  He was just her type, though.  Cocksure and arrogant like the guys she used to date in college before he decided that she could do better._

_It made him sick to his stomach to watch the way they sat beside each other and ate their damn ice cream cones.  Couldn't everyone around them see what a whore she was – throwing herself at that buffoon right there in the middle of the food court surrounded by a bunch of kids?  She'd screwed up, though, wearing that shirt with the logo printed right on it.  He'd causally asked someone in their group what it meant and they'd been all to willing to tell him all about the ranch for troubled kids they ran about forty minutes south.  Now he didn't need her to come to him – he could go straight to her.  When he was ready, of course._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 21 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  So, a little fast forward. . . Things are going fairly well for everyone, so you know what that means! Drama!!! She’s trying so hard to overcome her fears, but her paranoia isn’t just in her mind after all. What did you think about that last part? It gave me chills just writing it! If you haven’t seen The Punisher on Netflix, you should really watch it just to get and idea of who Billy Russo really is. I’m trying to capture his characterization, but it’s hard to delve into the mind of a sociopath and stay sane yourself! I look forward to your comments!_


	22. Chapter 22

YN couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.  She berated herself for allowing her paranoia to even remotely sabotage the happiness she'd found in Thousand Oaks.  She figured that her mind was trying to keep her locked away inside of her fear since that was what had become her norm over the past few years, but she was determined to fight her fears.  She didn't want to constantly look over her shoulder and wonder if this day was going to be the day that it all came crashing down on her.  She wanted to wake up in the morning and have a sense of peace about her life.  Was that too much to ask?

She found comfort in the small routines she'd created since she'd come to Montana, but she knew that things would have to change sooner rather than later.  Rowan's due date was quickly approaching and although YN knew her friend would never ask her to leave, she felt like Steve and Rowan deserved some time alone to cherish the newest addition to their family without having to worry about her. 

Without telling Rowan what she was up to, YN had begun to take more and more of her belongings to the cabin she used for her overnight duties at the ranch.  She'd made up her mind that once the baby was born, she would move in there permanently.  The thought of being alone every single night filled her heart with dread, but she reminded herself that she'd managed a few nights alone without sending herself into a state of panic.  Peter had usually helped with that, even if he didn't realize it at the time.  With a half-hearted chuckle to herself she admitted that she'd been too exhausted on those nights to do more than fall face first into her pillow and immediately pass out after a few rolls in the hay with her overly-arduous lover.

She felt the smile spread across her face as she drove toward him the early hours before dawn.  Even though she'd just been in his arms less than twelve hours before, she found herself aching to feel his hands on her body again.  She knew that if she asked, he would be more than willing to let her stay with him once the baby was born, but she'd yet to stay the night with him and she wasn't sure she was ready to take that next step quite yet.  She knew her feelings toward him were changing and she was dangerously close to falling in love with him if she didn't watch herself.  But she had no idea if he felt the same way or if this was still just all a game to him.  

A war raged within herself as she pondered the pros and cons of each train of though. A part of her wanted him to be on the same page that she was on because when she let herself imagine a life with him, she could see all of her hopes and dreams coming true.  That was also the reason why she was terrified that he shared her feelings.  She wanted to believe that she was ready for a serious relationship, but even after months of therapy, she was still scared of letting someone into her life – letting someone have control over her again.  She knew that Peter was nothing like her ex, but fear wasn't always rational and it wasn't something anyone could control.

As she pulled into her usual parking spot, she saw the light on in Peter's office and all of her previous doubts washed away in an instant.  Quietly shutting the truck door behind her, she made her way across the yard.  They'd given up trying to meet in the barn since they always seemed to be interrupted by one of the staff members getting an early start on their day.  They'd also started meeting earlier and earlier so they could fully indulge themselves before they began their day.

The door was unlocked when she turned the knob, but it always was.  As Peter's eyes lifted from the document he was reading, she closed the door behind her and twisted the thumb-lock to prevent any unwanted interruptions.  Peter was out of his seat in an instant, and with a sultry smile on her lips she flipped the light switch.  Darkness enveloped them, but they didn't need the light anymore – they'd already learned the other's body well enough to navigate without sight.

 

"Did you want to grab something to eat from town, or throw together some back at my place before everyone comes over for poker night?" Peter asked as he and YN left Bobbi and Hunter with the kids for the evening.

"I ran into town while you were on that conference call with the Department of Public Health and Human Resources.  I found a recipe for these little bacon wrapped. . ."

"Bacon wrapped?" Peter asked, interrupting her.  "I'm sold.  Dinner in it is.  I can throw a couple of steaks and potatoes on the grill while you work on those bacon wrapped thingies."

YN laughed and shook her head.  "I can toss together a salad while the hors d'oeuvres are in the oven."

"Good call on the salad," Peter said as he lifted the hem of his shirt to inspect his abs.  "All this cooking we're doing is starting to pack on the pounds.  I'm one sandwich away from being fat."

YN reached over and gave his abs a playful smack.  "Oh, yeah, I totally agree.  We'll have to figure out a way to burn some of those calories later if you're going to continue to be my arm candy."

Peter opened the back door of his house leading into the kitchen and waited until YN was inside before grabbing her waist and spinning her around so that her back was against the door.  Moving in closer, he pinned her against the door with his body as his hands moved to frame her face.  "I don't know why I keep letting you use me for sex."

Sliding her hands up his body to wrap around his neck, she leaned into him.  "Because the sex is fantastic."

He gave her that pouty little smile and head nod that she loved so much before leaning in and kissing her.  She would have willingly stayed right where they were for the rest of the evening, but she knew they both had things to do if they wanted to eat before the rest of their friends showed up.  With a reluctant groan, she pulled away from him and waited for him to open his eyes.

"Skipping dinner would save me a few calories," he reasoned with a semi-serious look on his face.

"We'll need those calories later tonight."

"Why are you always right?"

She gave him a smirk as she slid out of his embrace.  "Because I have the ability to think logically."

"Are you saying I don't?"

"When you're using your upstairs brain, you do."

"That's low, YN," he said as he dramatically clutched his chest over his heart.

"Go fire up the grill," she said with a laugh.  "I'm starving and smelling Bobbi's spaghetti sauce all evening didn't help."

Peter breezed past her on his way to the fridge, pausing briefly to place a kiss along her neck.  "Yes, ma'am."

YN quickly got to work making the treats for poker night and once they were in the oven, she moved over to the sink to wash the greens for the salad.  The window in the kitchen looked over the back deck, so she was afforded a nice view of Peter as he cooked their dinner.  She knew she shouldn't stare, but she loved observing him when he thought no one else was looking.  He had a bad habit of trying to pretend to be a macho guy, but deep down he was one of the most sensitive men she'd ever met.  She saw the cord from the earbuds leading down to his back pocket, so she knew he was listening to some type of music while he cooked.  As she continued to watch, he grabbed the spatula from the edge of the grill and started using it as a microphone while he danced to a beat only he could hear.

A flash of light from the tree line behind the house drew her attention away from Peter.  Scooting over a bit, she craned her neck to try to see what had caused it.  It had been so brief she wasn't sure she'd actually seen it, and the longer she stared at the spot in the woods, the more she convinced herself that she'd imagined the whole thing.

By the time she'd looked back at Peter, he'd stopped singing and dancing and was placing the steaks and potatoes onto a plate.  Grabbing a knife, she quickly sliced the tomato and cucumber for their salad and tossed them into the bowl with the romaine and baby spinach just as he walked through the door.

"Dinner is served," he announced in his French accent.

YN shook her head with a smile and opened the cabinet next to the sink that held the plates and bowls.  Peter transferred the steaks and potatoes to the plates while she dished out the salad.  She checked the timer on the stove before she took her food to the table behind Peter.

Spending an evening across the table from Peter was how she'd always imagined her marriage to be – just two people sharing stories from their day as they ate a meal they'd prepared together.  Talking to Peter was easy and it didn't hurt that since they worked together, they understood each other's concerns about certain kids.  They'd found out early on that each of them picked up on different cues and by voicing their observations, they could get to the root of a problem much quicker than before.  Since most of the employees were also couples, Peter had encouraged them to start doing the same if they had time in the evenings.  After a few days, the morning conferences had become much more productive and the ranch seemed to be running more smoothly than ever before.

Since Peter had done most of the cooking, YN had opted to do the dishes.  She'd pulled the hors d'oeuvres from the oven and had him take them into his man cave while she started loading the dishwasher.  She glanced at the clock above the stove to see how much time they had, but the sound of the front door squashed any thoughts of squeezing in a quickie before poker began.

"Something smells good," Sam said as he let his nose lead him back to the kitchen.

"YN made some type of bacon wrapped snack," Peter mumbled as he tried to swallow the food in his mouth.  "They're delicious."

"You had me at bacon."

Teaghan laughed as her husband made a beeline for the man cave to try whatever it was that YN had made this time.  She knew there probably wouldn't be any left if she didn't grab one early, but she was more interested in talking to YN.

"How was your week?"

YN wiped her hands on a dish towel and pulled the other tray of hor d'oeuvres from the refrigerator.  She'd wisely made two trays and had wanted to wait until everyone was there before putting the second one in the oven since she knew Peter would probably eat most of the first tray.

"It was good," she answered Teaghan with a smile.  "How's the book coming?"

"I'm just about finished with Steve and Rowan's story, and then once I send it off to editing, I'll be ready to start Bucky and Kieran's.  I have the basic outline for that one, but I'll need to sit down with Kieran once the Spring semester ends and get more details about the early stages of their relationship."

"I still can't believe you're writing stories about people you know," YN said with a laugh as she shook her head.

"What about you and Peter?" Teaghan asked with a wink.  "Are you two going to become my next victims?"

"Oh, no," YN quickly said as she threw her hands up in front of her.  "Peter and I aren't exactly a couple, and trust me, no one wants to read a book about my life story."

Teaghan had a sudden flashback to the first time she'd met YN and instantly berated herself for forgetting that this was a woman with a secret she didn't want to share.  "I'm sorry, YN.  I wasn't thinking. . ."

Realizing that she'd made her new friend uncomfortable, YN hurriedly reassured her that she wasn't upset.  "Don't be sorry.  I'm in a good place right now and it's partly thanks to all of you."

Teaghan wanted to say more, but at that moment, the back door opened and more people began filing into the house.  She gave YN a smile and squeezed her shoulder before greeting the rest of the group.

YN put the second tray of hors d'oeuvres in the oven once Steve and Rowan showed up.  Steve was lucky enough to snag the last one off the first tray and from the obscene sounds he was making from the other room, YN knew she'd stumbled upon another snack they would all enjoy.

Rowan glanced over her shoulder toward the man cave and shook her head.  "You don't have to keep baking for them, you know."

"I enjoy it," YN said with a shrug.  

YN did enjoy making snacks for her new friends, and it also gave her a sense of purpose in the group.  It was difficult enough finding her place amongst people that had known one another for most of their lives.  The other new additions to the group were currently dating other members, but for her it was different.  Everyone knew about her and Peter, but they also knew that their relationship was strictly casual.  She'd felt like the odd-man-out when she realized that Nat never brought Wade to poker night, but Rowan assured her it was only because Friday nights were so busy at the pizzeria.  Even still, YN was reluctant to accept the unconditional friendship that had been offered to her and wanted to make sure that her presence was never seen as burdensome – hence the homemade snacks every Friday night.

Rowan stayed in the kitchen and caught up with YN while they waited for the hors d'oeuvres to finish baking, and YN could tell there was something off about her friend.  Rowan kept rubbing her lower back and every few minutes she'd take a deep breath.

"Are you alright?" YN finally asked as the timer on the stove went off.

Rowan waved off her friend's concern as YN removed the baking tray from the oven and transferred the contents onto the tray she'd retrieved from the man cave.  YN ushered Rowan to her seat at the poker table and placed the tray in the center. She quickly snatched her hand back as six greedy male hands converged on the platter.

"It's like feeding time at the zoo," Nat observed with a disdainful look on her face.

Within a few minutes, the tray was empty again and they'd all settled down to play their game.  YN's dad had taught her how to play poker as a child, so she enjoyed the weekly ritual that reminded her of her childhood.  It had been years since she'd played, but it had all come back to her quickly enough and soon she was seen as a person to watch since she could bluff almost as well as a professional.

As the game wore on, YN kept a close eye on Rowan as she kept shifting in her chair.  YN was starting to get concerned and she glanced toward Steve to gauge his reaction.  Unsurprisingly, she saw him focusing his gaze on his wife instead of his hand of cards.

"Are we all just going to keep playing and pretend that Rowan isn't in labor right now?" Bucky asked as he tossed a few chips into the center of the table.

"I was wondering the same thing, myself," Wanda said with a side-eyed glance toward Rowan.

"I'm not in labor," Rowan argued as a stab of pain shot through her abdomen causing her to inhale sharply.

"Do you have any idea how many calves I've helped deliver in my lifetime?" Bucky asked with a disbelieving look.

"James Buchanan Barnes," Rowan hissed.  "If you compare me to a cow one more time, I will personally slaughter you like one."

"Okay, that's it," Steve announced as he threw down his cards.  "Bucky's right, honey.  All of us know what a female in labor looks like – even if those females happen to be the four-legged kind – and you are most certainly in labor."  He paused to look at the group.  "You'll have to excuse us, I'm taking my wife to the hospital."

"And you think we aren't coming?" Nat asked with one raised eyebrow.

Cards and poker chips were discarded as the scrape of chairs being pushed back filled the room.  The group began discussing carpooling options as they headed for the door.  Steve was in charge of Rowan, who still continued to argue that she wasn't in labor and that they were all overreacting.

Peter had offered to take one of the ranch's van and everyone was quick to agree that it was the best option.  Nat had volunteered to drive Steve's truck so he could sit in the back with Rowan and time the contractions on their way to the hospital.

YN hadn't been inside of a hospital since the day she'd left Billy, and there was something about the smell of antiseptic that instantly turned her stomach.  Teaghan noticed her discomfort and came to sit beside her in the waiting room.

"Don't like hospitals?" Teaghan asked as she handed YN a cup of horrible coffee Bucky and Kieran had retrieved from the vending machine down the hall.

YN tried to hide her uneasiness behind a smile.  "Who does?"

Teaghan wasn't an expert, but she could recognize deflection when she saw it.  Deciding to take a chance, she began to tell YN about her last experience in this particular building.  

"This was the hospital where they brought Sam after Rumlow shot him."  Teaghan took a deep breath as she remembered sitting in a waiting room similar to this one with Nat and her father, Tony.  "That was one of the worst experiences of my life."

"I can relate to that," YN agreed as Peter came over and sat down beside her.

"But we're here for a good reason," he said with a smile.  "A new life being born is always something to celebrate."

Sam took a seat beside his wife with a shocked expression on his face.  "Look at you with the words of wisdom."

"I'm capable of deep thoughts," Peter argued.

Sam's eyebrows shot up as his head tilted to the side.  "The deepest thing I've ever heard you say was that speech you gave at graduation.  What did you call that?"  

Sam paused to think for a moment, giving Bucky a chance to join the conversation.  "Nine rules from Peter Quill, Student Body President."

"Wait a second," YN interrupted with a raised finger.  "Peter was the student body president in high school?"

Wanda leaned over with a smile.  "He thought it was a competition for who had the best body."

"Which is why he won," Nat interjected with a smirk.  "Ever girl in the school voted for him after he started hanging up all the posters of him in a speedo."

YN turned to Peter and struggled to contain her laughter.  "Please tell me they're teasing you."

"I may not have known what I was really running for, but you all have to agree that I was the best student body president Thousand Oaks High ever had."

With a questioning gaze, YN looked around the room to see what everyone thought of Peter's declaration.  To her surprise, they all shrugged and nodded their heads as they offered words of agreement.  

"And I gave the best graduation speech."

"Oh, it was memorable, alright," Sam said with a chuckle.  "I do believe it was your speech that prompted the principal to require that every graduation speech be approved going forward."

"Okay, I'm dying to know.  What were the nine rules?" YN asked as some of the others who hadn't been there did the same.

"Rule number one was to breathe," Bucky said.  "I can't remember them all, but that one stuck with me."

"Obviously not, since you forgot the most important part of that rule," Peter said as he stood and faced the group.  "I can tell right now that you guys are going to butcher it, so I'll be reciting this speech for the benefit of our newest friends."

"You have it memorized?" Scott asked.  "Wasn't that like twenty years ago?"

"I can also recite Kevin Bacon's speech from Footloose by heart.  If it's important, it's worth remembering." Peter took a moment to mentally prepare himself.  "Listen up.  This is what I call Nine Rules from Peter Quill, Student Body President.  Number one – breathe.  If you don't you'll suffocate. . ."

YN sat and listened in awe as Peter recited his graduation speech like he was actually standing in front of huge audience.  Sam had been right when he'd said that Peter's speech had been deep. There were moments of hilarity, but for the most part, it was an inspirational speech that had a lovely message buried underneath all of the humor.  She doubted the faculty and staff of the high school had appreciated the tips on pooping at a party, but they couldn't fault him for some of the more philosophical words he spoke.

When he'd finally finished, he took a bow and took his seat beside YN and shot her a quick smile.

"That was lovely," she told him as she playfully jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Thanks," he said as he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  "Anything to make you laugh."

"Okay, kids, what'd I miss?" Tony asked as he swaggered into the room and whipped off his tinted sunglasses.

"What are you doing here, Dad?" Wanda asked as she got up to give her father a hug and a kiss.

"My best friend's kid is having a kid.  Why wouldn't I be here?"

"Ray and Gwen would've wanted you here," Bucky said with a sad smile.  "Rowan will be glad you came."

YN was surprised to see a few more men enter the waiting room behind Tony.  She recognized Happy and Stan from her trips to the Cathedral Café for lunch with Rowan, but the other man was a stranger to her.

"Do you know Happy and Stan?" Peter whispered in YN's ear when he saw her looking at the new arrivals.

"Yes, Rowan introduced me to them at the Café, but who's the other guy?"

"Oh, that's Rhodey.  He owns the auto-body shop in town, Country Rhodes – r-h-o-d-e-s."

"Clever," YN said as she rolled her eyes.

"I think it was Tony's idea.  He went through a John Denver stage back when we were kids."

Before YN could say anything else, a bubbly brunette walked through the door typing on her cell phone.  "Okay, I've texted May and Elena – they've already started the phone tree, so everyone will be in the loop in a few minutes."  She looked up from her phone and waved to the group of people before her.  "Hey guys, how's it going?"

"Hello, Darcy," Nat said through clenched teeth as she got up and dragged her father across the room.

"What?" Tony asked as he plucked his arm from his daughter's grasp and rubbed the spot where her fingers had dug into his skin.

"Please tell me you are not dating your secretary."

"Darcy? What?  Of course not, Nat."  Tony shook his head and let out a breath.  "She comes over and plays poker with us on Friday nights."

"Why?"

"Because these old men have lots of money and none of them can play poker for shit," Darcy said as she came up behind Tony and crossed her arms over the back of his shoulders.  "Once they get a few whiskeys in them, it's easy pickings."

"I have nothing against you, Darcy. . ."

"I know," Darcy said with a shrug.  "I'd be pissed if I thought my dad was sleeping with a woman young enough to be my sister."

"You really take all their money?" Nat asked warily.

"No," Tony answered at the same time Darcy said yes.  He looked back at his secretary as she shrugged and headed over to talk to Happy and Stan.

YN couldn't help but overhear the conversation between Tony and Nat.  Turning to Peter she asked, "So, Tony and his friends play poker on Friday nights, too?"

"It's actually where the tradition started," Peter explained.  "Tony would never let us join in, so we started putting together our own game.  We've been playing since high school."

YN smiled and nodded her head.  "The more I learn about the people in this town, the more I fall in love with them."

Peter bit his tongue before he could ask the question that had immediately popped into his head.  He wanted to believe that he was included in her assessment of the town, but deep down he hoped that he somehow meant more to her than the rest of her new friends.  He knew he was asking for trouble by falling for her, but with every passing day he realized just how perfectly she fit into his life and he was slowly starting to realize that he didn't want to imagine his life without her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 22 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  I love writing the seemingly insignificant domestic scenes since they say so much about the relationship Peter and the Reader are building. Everyone around them sees it, but neither one of them is ready to say anything just yet. And now we have a baby arriving soon! You’d think the only doctor in the group would recognize the signs of labor, but we all know how stubborn Rowan can be, so of course she’d assume they were false labor pains since it would mess up poker night! I loved adding Tony and his gang into this part! It’s nice to get a glimpse into his life before we dive into his story in a few months! Did you enjoy all of the Easter eggs I added to this one? I do love bringing a bit of the MCU, as well as real life, into my stories. I look forward to your comments!_


	23. Chapter 23

Peter looked down at YN as she slept curled up beside him in the hospital waiting room. She'd leaned her head against his shoulder about an hour before and had fallen asleep within minutes. This was the first chance he'd ever gotten to see her with all of her defenses down. He wasn't stupid enough to believe that a woman who'd been through what she'd endured would be willing to trust someone unequivocally in just a few weeks, but he also wasn't offended either. When it came to her, he'd take whatever she was willing to give him – and if all she was willing to give was sex, then he'd be content with that for as long as he could.

Sam came over and took a seat beside Peter. The overhead lights in the room had been turned off hours ago and a few lamps in the corners were the only sources of illumination as the night began to slowly shift to the early morning hours.

"How long?" Sam asked as he nodded toward YN.

"How long, what?"

"How long have you been in love with her?"

"Sam," Peter began.

Sam held up a hand to stop his friend from denying the obvious. He'd been watching the two of them for months, and after seeing all the men around him – including himself – find the women they were meant to spend the rest of their lives with, he'd begun to recognize the signs.

"I know it's not your plan, man," Sam said with a soft chuckle. "But she's one helluva woman. Even you can't deny that."

Peter looked back down and YN and gently ran a hand over her cheek. "She terrifies me."

Sam nodded his head and smiled as he cast a quick glance across the room to where Teaghan sat quietly whispering to Kieran. She somehow sensed his gaze and gave him a quick wink before turning back to her friend.

"I get it," Sam agreed. "I still don't know how I got lucky enough to end up with Teaghan. That woman is completely out of my league, but somehow she still loves me."

"Yeah, you're right about that," Peter teased with a playful jab in Sam's ribs.

Sam rubbed the spot where Peter's elbow had made contact. "I'm serious, man. I know that woman's got secrets, and I just want to make sure you're going into this with your eyes wide open."

Peter's gut clenched. He hadn't said a word to anyone, especially Sam, after YN had revealed her past to him. It wasn't anyone's business, and her secret wasn't hurting anyone. He knew he would have to choose his next words carefully.

"She and I talked about all that before this – whatever it is – started. Let's just say she has good reason to be tight-lipped about her past."

Sam nodded his head in understanding. "Fair enough. I just don't want to see you get hurt the first time you actually fall in love."

"What? You think if I get my heart broken, I'll swear off women for the rest of my life?"

"Yeah."

Peter was shocked by Sam's admission. He opened his mouth to refute his friend's claim, but stopped. He looked back down at YN again and tried to imagine a day where she would no longer be a part of his life. He realized with a heart-wrenching certainty that if he couldn't spend the rest of his life with her, he'd probably never actively seek out someone else to fill that particular void in his life.

Sam gave Peter a friendly pat on the shoulder and moved back to the other side of the room. He hadn't wanted to upset his friend, but he'd been worried about the two of them for a while. YN seemed like an amazing woman, and he'd enjoyed her company, but there was still an air of mystery surrounding her. He felt better knowing that she'd come clean to Peter about her past, and he trusted his friend's judgement enough to know that if Peter said she'd spilled all of her secrets, then she had. Now they just needed to figure out a way to get the two of them to admit their feelings for each other before it drove the rest of them crazy.

 

YN could feel the pull of consciousness tugging at her sleep-muddled mind, but she didn't want to wake up. She was in the middle of a pleasant dream that she couldn't quite remember at the moment, but she knew she wanted to stay a while longer. She willed her mind to stay numb, but as she took a breath, her senses were filled with a familiar scent – sandalwood, a touch of vanilla, and a hint of earthiness that only came from working with horses. 

Peter.

Once her mind had acknowledged why the scent was familiar, she'd been unable to linger on the edge of consciousness any longer. She still wasn't ready to awaken fully, so she lay perfectly still and allowed her other senses to remind her where she was because she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was not in her bed at the ranch, or in the one at Steve and Rowan's.

Her neck ached slightly from the odd position she was currently in, and the pillow beneath her head was warm, but not as soft as she would have preferred. There was a weight around her waist that felt familiar to her, but she was having a hard time placing it. The entire left side of her body was warm, but not overly so. It wasn't until she felt the gentle brush of Peter's lips across her forehead that she remembered they were in the waiting room at the hospital.

As her memories started to solidify, she took a moment to assess her current situation. She'd never allowed herself to fall asleep around him for fear of what her subconscious would conjure up, and although she couldn't remember the dream she'd been having, she knew that it hadn't been a nightmare. That was progress.

Waking up to his familiar scent had eased her nerves, and she was glad she'd been sneakily stealing his clothes for the past few weeks. She was pretty sure he knew she was taking them, but she always brought them back freshly laundered so she could trade them out for ones that still smelled like him.

As the arm around her waist – that was the familiar weight she'd struggled to identify – tightened around her, she felt a sense of peace and safety that she hadn't felt in years. She might not know where she and Peter were heading romantically, but she knew that he had become someone that she could trust. He'd become someone that she hoped she could love, and would possibly love her in return one day.

Finally opening her eyes, she lifted her head off of his shoulder and met his gaze. "Hi."

"Hi," he said as he gently caressed her face. "Sleep well?"

She nodded her head and smiled at him. "Amazingly enough, yeah." She paused and looked around the room. The lights had been dimmed and some people were sleeping in their chairs, but everyone was still there. "No baby yet?"

Peter shook his head. "No, but these things take time."

"What time is it?"

"Just after two," Peter said once he'd checked his watch.

She let out a sigh and moved out of his embrace. "I need to get up and move for a bit."

"You want me to come with?"

"No," she said with a smile as she grazed her fingernails over his scruffy beard. "I'll just be a minute."

She exited the waiting room and looked up and down the hall for a restroom sign. Spotting one a few doors down, she turned and headed in that direction.

Locking the door behind her, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. The entire left side of her face was imprinted with the pattern of Peter's plaid shirt. Shaking her head with a laugh, she did what she'd come in to do and after she'd washed her hands, she splashed some cold water on her face in hopes that the lines would fade a little quicker. Cupping her hands under the faucet she allowed the water to pool before leaning over and taking a sip. She swished the water around in her mouth for a few seconds to help alleviate the case of morning breath she could all but taste.

As she exited the bathroom, she saw Steve coming down the hall. He was in a light blue paper gown with the paper booties covering his boots, and he had the biggest grin on his face.

"Sarah's here," he told her as he pulled her in bear hug and spun her around excitedly.

Steve let YN down and tears began to form in her eyes. "Everyone's okay? No complications?"

He shook his head as a look of pride came over his face. "None at all. Rowan was amazing, but she's exhausted."

"That's to be expected," YN said as she grabbed his hand. "Everyone is still in the waiting room and I know they're dying to find out all the details."

When Steve entered the room with YN, a chorus of questions began to ring out all at once. Those that had been asleep quickly awoke and after a few seconds joined in with questions of their own.

Steve held up a hand and began to laugh. "Calm down. Sarah Gwyneth Rogers was born at 1:07 am. She's seven pounds, six ounces, and is twenty-one inches long. Both she and her mama are doing fine. I wanted to come out sooner and tell you all, but I didn't want to leave them."

"Totally understandable," Bucky said as he pulled Steve into a hug. "I'm so happy for you guys."

The rest of the people in the room took turns hugging Steve and offering their congratulations. Steve pulled out his phone and showed everyone pictures he'd snapped of his new daughter cradled in her mother's arms.

"How long will they keep Rowan and Sarah here?" YN asked Steve once everyone began to file out of the room to head back to the parking lot.

"The doctor said as long as there are no complications, I should be able to take them home tomorrow afternoon."

"Text me tomorrow and let me know. They'll probably serve her lunch here, but I know Rowan and she won't want to eat it. I'll have something ready for you guys when you get home and I'll also throw together a pan of lasagna to get you through the next few days. I know neither of you will want to think about cooking anytime soon."

"You don't have to do that," Steve protested.

"Nonsense. You two have been wonderful to me since I came here. I just want to return the favor."

Steve leaned in and gave her another hug. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too."

Steve gave Peter another hug and slap on the back before heading back to Rowan's room to get some sleep himself. Peter looked over at her and offered his hand for her to take.

"Let's go home."

She nodded her head as she let him lead her toward the elevators.

Everyone was waiting for them in the van since Nat had grabbed the keys from Peter before they'd left the waiting room. Most of them were already asleep and YN felt sorry for the ones that had to pull a shift at the ranch in the morning. She hoped the kids would take pity on them and not give them a hard time since they would be so sleep deprived.

She climbed into the passenger side seat and vowed to stay awake since she was pretty sure Peter hadn't gotten a nap in the waiting room like she had. He seemed to be alert enough, but that could change at any moment once he got on the road. There was something hypnotic about the yellow and white lines illuminated by the headlights of an automobile at night, and she wanted to make sure they all made it back to the ranch safely.

Once they were on the highway, Peter reached over the console to take her hand. She began to rub circles into his palm and he glanced her way with an appreciative smile. She thought back to the night he'd driven her home after their first date. She'd felt just as much at peace then as she did in this moment and that realization made her happier than she'd been in a long time.

The rest of the drive was spent in silence as they traveled the few dozen miles back to the ranch. Other than her and Peter, everyone else was quietly snoring in the back. YN peeked over her shoulder and the sight of the various couples leaning against one another in sleep warmed her heart. Nat had chosen to sit beside Wanda and was sleeping on her shoulder while her sister was sleeping on Vis'.

When Peter finally pulled into the parking lot of the ranch, there were groans of protest as everyone had to wake up yet again. The ones that lived at the ranch wandered off like zombies toward their cabins, but Bucky and Kieran, and Sam and Teaghan still had to drive back to their homes. They bid her and Peter a good night and headed back toward Peter's house to retrieve their cars.

"I was thinking. . ."

"Would it be alright. . ."

She and Peter started laughing as they both began talking at the same time. He motioned for her to go first and she took a deep breath as she worked up her courage again.

"Would it be alright if I stayed with you tonight?"

A slow smile spread across his face. "I was just about to ask you that very thing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he answered as he pulled her into his arms and leaned in to kiss her. "No hanky-panky, I promise. We both need some sleep, and. . ." he paused for a moment as he weighed his next words carefully.

"And?"

"And I liked the way it felt when you were sleeping in my arms earlier tonight."

She knew how hard that admission had been for him. He wasn't the type of guy that would normally own up to the fact that he liked to cuddle, so she took it as a good sign that he trusted her enough with that little tidbit of information.

"I liked it, too," she said as she dropped her head to avoid his gaze.

He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head back up to look at him. "C'mon, sweetheart. Let's go to bed."

 

YN cursed her internal clock when she woke up less than two hours after she and Peter had finally crawled into his bed and collapsed from exhaustion. She was currently wrapped in his arms with her head resting on his chest and she was too comfortable to move. Thankfully the clock was on the nightstand opposite of her, so she could see the readout without having to crane her neck.

She glanced up at Peter, and her breath caught in her throat. She'd never seen him sleeping before, and she was completely unprepared for the sight. The cocky look and crooked smile were gone and in their place was an innocence that she hadn't been expecting. He was still as handsome as sin, but he seemed softer in sleep than he did when he was awake. Carefully, she lifted one hand and gently brushed a finger down his cheek. He was such a pure soul – even if he had one of the worst reputations when it came to women – but she was almost positive that he used that as a defense mechanism to keep them at arm's length. She knew she couldn't be one hundred percent sure, but she'd be willing to bet that she had been offered a glimpse into his real personality these past few weeks. And so far, she'd liked what she'd seen.

When his alarm went off a few minutes later, he jerked awake and made to sit up before he realized that she was laying half on top of him. He gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine, I was already awake."

He narrowed his eyes and cocked one brow. "Were you watching me sleep? That's just creepy."

She shook her head as peels of laughter erupted from her. "You'd do the same thing if you'd woken up first. Admit it."

He shrugged his shoulders and gave her a wink. "Probably." He wanted to tell her that he'd watched her sleep back in the hospital waiting room, but he wasn't sure how she'd react to knowing that he'd caught her in a vulnerable moment. For all he knew, she probably thought he'd been asleep as well.

She almost called him out on his lie, but changed her mind at the last minute. There was no use in making things awkward. Instead, she chose to move their conversation to a different subject.

"So," she said as she trailed a finger down his bare chest. "You're awake early, and I'm awake early. . ."

"I promised no hanky-panky, and I'm a man of my word."

She let her hand slip beneath the covers and heard his sharp intake of breath. "I didn't make that promise."

"Vixen," he accused in a scandalized tone.

She sat up and shifted herself until she was straddling his lap. Her hands continued to roam over his bare chest as she watched his eyes darken with desire.

"Here or in the shower?"

"I like where you're at right now," he said as his voice took on a husky quality.

"Good choice," she whispered as she leaned down to start placing kisses along his collarbone and down his chest.

 

Even with an alarm to wake him up earlier than normal, Peter still managed to be late for work. He was still in the process of buttoning up his shirt as he entered the barn. A multitude of curious eyes met his once he'd managed to slip the last button through its hole and glance up.

Vis observed his still-wet hair and disheveled appearance and gave him a knowing smile. "I see Ms. YN has finally decided to stay over."

"What?" Peter asked, trying to deflect.

"It's Saturday," Nat observed with a smirk.

"And YN isn't scheduled to work today," Wanda added with a wink.

"Her truck is still parked outside," Scott said with a nudge in Maria's direction.

Maria took the hint, but rolled her eyes as she added her observation. "And it's still covered in dew, so she didn't drive it here this morning."

"Okay, okay," Peter said, throwing his hands up in surrender. "She stayed the night. Are you all happy?"

"Yes," they all said in unison.

Peter took a step back in surprise. "Why do you guys care if she stays at my place?"

Nat shook her head as she walked over to him and looped her arm through his. Leading him away from the others, she began to speak quietly. "Because we've all been waiting for this day for a really long time, Peter."

"What day?" he asked as his eyes narrowed.

"The day you finally meet the woman that's going to turn you into an honest man."

"Plus, we've all been taking bets on when you'd finally get her to spend the night with you," Robbie said as he entered the barn and slapped Peter on the back. "By the way, I win, so all you can settle up with me later today."

"It doesn't count," Peter argued. "She's only been here a few hours, not the whole night."

"Did she sleep in your bed?" Robbie asked with a look that dared Peter to lie.

"Well, yeah."

"And did she wake up beside you?"

Peter let out an exasperated breath. "Yes."

"And did the two of you. . ." Robbie didn't finish his sentence, but instead did an elaborate eyebrow wiggle to indicate what he was getting at.

"That is none of your business," Peter protested with a hard look.

"I'll take that as a yes." Robbie looked at the others in the barn and rubbed his fingers and thumb together to indicate he wanted paid. "He met all the requirements – I win."

Peter couldn't help but laugh at his friends. While he didn't appreciate them nosing into his private life with YN, he knew if the tables had been turned, he'd have been in on a bet concerning someone else's love life. That's just they way they were. 

He shook his head and began mucking out Ego's stall. He'd left YN asleep in his bed and he was hoping that once he'd taken care of some things in the office, he could sneak back to his house and have a repeat of this morning. He'd already grown fond of the idea of having her in his bed, and he planned to take advantage of that fact for as long as he could.

 

YN awoke for the third time that morning, but this last time felt better than the previous two rude awakenings. She pulled Peter's pillow closer and took a deep breath as she saturated her senses with the scent she'd grown to love over the past few weeks. Reveling in the fact that she had his entire bed to herself, she stretched out and burrowed down into the covers for a few more minutes.

Once she realized that going back to sleep wasn't an option, she let out a sigh and looked over at the clock. It was fairly late in the morning, but she still had a few hours before she expected Steve, Rowan, and the baby back from the hospital. 

She glanced over at the pile of clothes in the middle of the floor and she turned her nose up at the thought of having to wear the same clothes she'd worn the day before. Sliding out of bed, she walked over to the dresser and opened the drawer where Peter kept his old sweats and t-shirts. She'd been pilfering from this drawer for weeks, so she didn't feel the least bit guilty about stealing more of his clothes.

Grabbing her dirty clothes from the floor, she made her way downstairs. Her boots were still by the door where she'd left them and she laughed at how ridiculous she looked in sweatpants and cowboy boots. Shaking her head, she hoped that she could make it back to her cabin before someone saw her.

Luck was on her side as she crossed the yard between Peter's house and the row of staff cabins. There didn't seem to be a single person out and about to witness her walk of shame – not that she was the least bit ashamed of herself. A satisfied grin spread across her face as she remembered the events of this morning. There was something to be said about waking up next to Peter and having the opportunity to indulge herself before she ever stepped foot out of bed. Maybe it was time to give the sleepovers more of chance.

She let herself into the cabin and immediately went to her closet to find something to wear. Slipping out of her borrowed clothes, she carefully folded them and placed them on the end of her bed to wear again later. She chose some simple lounge clothes since she was going to spend the rest of the morning in Rowan's kitchen making a lasagna and some other dishes that her friends could reheat throughout the week.

Locking the door behind her, she walked off the small front porch of her cabin and headed to the office to let Peter know that she was heading back to Wolf Creek. She saw Nat walking up the drive with a stack of mail in her hands, so she smiled and waved at the other woman.

Opening the door to Peter's office, she peeked her head in. "Knock, knock."

He looked up at her and immediately his face split into a wide grin. "I see you finally decided to join the land of the living again."

She walked around the side of his desk and took a seat on his lap as he leaned in to give her a kiss. "You have a very comfortable bed. I almost didn't want to get up."

"I wouldn't have complained if you'd still been there once I finished all this paperwork."

"I bet you wouldn't have," she teased as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

When the door opened again, they broke apart with a smile on both of their faces. Nat rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I picked up the mail."

"Anything interesting?" Peter asked.

"Actually, yeah," Nat said as she furrowed her brow and turned a postcard over in her hands. "Listen to this and tell me if you think it's weird. The message says, 'I've missed you, baby,' but it's addressed to someone named Nina Russo. Any clue who that is?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 23 of this story!  I hope you enjoyed it! Sam is always so insightful, but it seems like he finally got Peter to admit that he's in love!  And we have a baby!  I love learning the meaning of names and I take great care in choosing the original names I use in my stories.  Sarah is obviously Steve's mother's name, but it also means "princess," and we all know that this baby will be treated like a princess in this town!  Gwyneth means "blessed,"  and it's the name I chose for Rowan's mom, so I thought it would be fitting for them to use it as Sarah's middle name.  We're slowly making some progress between the Reader and Peter, but then I had to go and throw a wrench in the works again!  Now who could that postcard be from???  I look forward to your comments!_


	24. Chapter 24

The world was spinning before her eyes, but there was nothing she could do to stop the nauseating whirlwind that she'd suddenly found herself in.  Saliva began to pool beneath her tongue as the all-too familiar cramps sent her stomach reeling.  With her senses going into overload and her equilibrium threatening to send her crashing into the floor, her entire body decided it was under too much stress to handle the conscious world any longer.  She stood helplessly as her vision began to narrow.  She was vaguely aware of Peter reaching out to her, but as the inky blackness settled over her, he seemed to be moving further and further away.  His mouth was moving, but by that point, her sense of hearing had shut down and her other senses were quickly following behind it.

"YN," Peter called out as he watched her eyes turn glassy and unfocused.  

He rushed toward her just as her knees began to buckle out from underneath her.  Nat was by his side in an instant, the mail falling forgotten to the floor as she dropped everything to help him get YN onto the sofa by the door.

Once she was sitting, Peter sat beside her and placed her head between her knees.  He was whispering soothing words to her in addition to encouraging her to take long, slow deep breaths as he stroked the back of her neck.  Blood was rushing through his own ears as his heart raced beneath his chest, so he could only imagine how she was taking this sudden change of events.  

YN had never told him her real name, and since it hadn't seemed important at the time, he hadn't pressed.  But when he'd heard Nat read the term of endearment he knew YN abhorred, he immediately knew who had sent the postcard and why.  

He glanced over at Nat who was kneeling in the floor in front of YN rubbing circles along her lower back as she too tried to get her friend to keep breathing so she didn't pass out.  Peter knew that after this there was no way Nat wouldn't press him to divulge the answers to questions she'd had from the moment YN had arrived at the ranch.  He knew she wouldn't demand YN answer them in the state she was in, but she would want answers and Peter knew she wasn't the only one that deserved to know the truth.

Time seemed to stand still as he waited for YN's breathing to finally even out, but eventually he could hear and see the deep breaths that matched those of Nat who was still in the floor in front of her.  Once she was sure that YN was no longer in danger of passing out, her gaze rose to meet Peter's.  He wasn't shocked to see a myriad of emotions play across Nat's features – anger, confusion, and worry.

Focusing back on YN, he slowly began to help her sit up again.  "Take it easy, sweetheart, don't go too fast."

YN's eyes were still a bit glassy and that worried him, but he tried to keep his concerns off of his face for her sake.  The last thing she needed to see was him falling apart over the thought of her abusive ex-husband stalking her.

"I'm sorry," YN said once she'd found her voice again, although her words sounded shaky even to her.

"There's no need to apologize," Nat told her as she moved to sit beside her on the small sofa by the door.  "Are you sure you're okay?  Why don't I grab you a bottle of water?"

Nat didn't wait for YN to reply before jumping back up off of the couch and heading for the mini-fridge Peter kept behind his desk. 

YN's eyes sought out Peter's again and the look of pure fear reflected in those beautiful depths sent a spear of rage straight through him.  She'd come so far in the past year, and especially the last few weeks, and he was terrified that this would send her running again before he had a chance to stop her.

YN waited for Nat to twist off the lid of the water before reaching up to take it from her.  The look on Nat's face was one of pure determination, so YN knew it would be a waste of time to argue with the fiery redhead.  Her mouth was dry and there was a faint taste of bile in the back of her throat even though she was sure that she hadn't actually thrown up, so she was grateful for the water.  

Knowing that her system was still in shock, she took slow, careful sips of the water as she felt two sets of eyes watching her the entire time.  She knew that Peter had immediately understood the significance of the postcard, but while Nat may not know the story behind it, after what she'd just witnessed, there was no way she didn't have some clue as to what it meant.

When she'd finally finished the bottle, she handed it back to Nat and turned to look at Peter again.  "I'm sorry."

"You keep apologizing – stop it," Peter told her as he pulled her into his arms.  "This is not your fault."

"I hate to seem pushy. . ." Nat began as she turned one of the visitor's chairs around and sat down facing YN and Peter.

"But you want answers," YN finished for her with a sigh.  "And you deserve them – all of you do."

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are Nina Russo, and that whoever sent that postcard isn't someone you want knowing where you are."  Nat tried to keep the confrontational look off of her face, but it was a struggle.  She'd known there was more to YN's story than she'd been letting on, but based off of the other woman's reaction to a simple piece of mail, her story had more serious implications than any of them had guessed.

"I can explain. . ."

"But not right now," Peter interrupted as he shot Nat a glare.  "You need to rest for a bit."

"No," YN said as she shook her head.  "I'd rather get this over with now so I can figure out what I'm going to do next."

"What we're going to do next," Peter corrected with a determined look on his face.

"Peter, I can't ask you. . ."

"You're not asking.  I'm volunteering."  With the matter settled in his mind, he turned back to Nat.  "Will you go gather up everyone and have them meet us in the barn.  I'd rather not have the kids around in case they overhear something that might upset them."

Peter's words had the blood in Nat's veins turning to ice.  Her boss was the kind of guy who took adversity and obstacles in stride, so hearing the worry in his voice had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on edge.  Giving the two of them a quick nod, she rose and left the office to do as Peter had requested.

As soon as the door shut behind Nat, Peter turned back to YN.  "Talk to me."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want to know what's going through your mind right now.  I'm not stupid enough to believe that you don't have an emergency get-out-of-dodge plan for if he ever found you."

YN let out a sigh and dropped her head.  He was right.  Since she'd left North Carolina, she'd always had one eye on the road behind her just waiting for the day Billy would catch up to her.  She'd hoped that she'd finally gotten away from him once she'd come to Thousand Oaks, but she hadn't become so complacent in her new life that she'd abandoned all the survival instincts she'd developed over the past year of constantly looking over her shoulder.  She did have a back-up plan, and it was pretty simple.

Run.

Up until a few months ago, running away again wouldn't have been a problem.  She knew if Billy ever found her here, she'd never be able to return and while it would break her heart to say goodbye to Rowan, she would've done it to keep her safe.  But now she'd begun a new life with new friends, a new job, and a new love that she was desperately trying to deny the existence of.  Now everything had changed and that meant her plan had to change as well.

"The plan is simple," she finally said.  "I need to just pack up and leave."

"You know that's not going to work for me."

"I can't stay here, Peter.  Billy is dangerous and we have the kids to think about.  Not to mention Rowan, Steve, and little Sarah.  I can't put anyone I love in danger – I'd never be able to live with the guilt if Billy hurt someone I care about just because they stood between him and me."

Peter rubbed his hands over his face as he tried to think.  "The camping trip is supposed to start tomorrow. . ."

"Tomorrow isn't soon enough," YN argued.  "I can guarantee that Billy was watching to see when that postcard was delivered.  As soon as he's sure I know he's here, he'll strike."

"Then the two of us will pack up and go somewhere tonight.  We'll make a big show of it so he'll be sure to see if he's watching."

YN started to say something, but she stopped as a memory from the previous day came back to her.  "He's camped out in the woods along the ridge behind the cabins."

"How do you know?"

"Last night while you were grilling, I saw something – a flash of light. . ."

"From a camera?"

"No," she said shaking her heard.  "It was a reflection, like the sun was bouncing off of something.  My guess would either be binoculars or the scope of a rifle.  I'd much rather think it was binoculars, but I'd be willing to bet he had you in his crosshairs."

A chill went down his spine as he thought about how easy it would have been for her ex to have shot him dead the night before.  He wouldn't have known what hit him, and then YN would have been left unprotected to deal with that psychopath.  He pushed the thoughts aside and focused on what he knew he could control.  Right now, they knew what they were up against, and they could at least make a plan to deal with him.

"Okay, now I'm agreeing with you that it's time to tell the others your story."

YN cocked her head to the side.  "Why, because you finally realized how dangerous he is?"

"Oh, no," Peter said with a shake of his head.  "I've always thought he was dangerous, but now that I know he's potentially armed and dangerous?  I need my crew to know what they're up against."

"What aren't you telling me?"

A slow grin spread across his face.  "You know that most of my crew are old friends that grew up here."

"Yeah."

"You've never asked about the others."

YN mentally took a step back.  Peter was right.  She hadn't questioned how Jeffrey, Agnes, Tess, Deke, Hunter, and Bobbi had come to be employed at the ranch.  She'd always assumed that like Vis and Scott, they knew someone in town and had moved here to take the job.  Now she wasn't so sure.

"Tell me."

"Most of them are old military buddies of Sam from when he was in the Air Force."

"Most of them?"

Peter nodded his head.  "Yeah.  Jeffrey used to be a Navy Seal. He and Agnes were high school sweethearts, so she moved out here with him once he left the Navy.  Bobbi was one of the first female Army Rangers.  She met Hunter, who was British Special Forces, when they were both deployed to Kandahar.  Hunter didn't start working here until after Bobbi had been here about a year.  Deke and Tess were both medics in the Air Force with Sam.

“As for Sam, he was a part of an experimental ParaRescue unit.  He met them all in Afghanistan right after 9/11.  Sam kept in touch with them after his enlistment was up, and when I decided to expand the ranch, it just so happened that some of them were ready to leave the service.  As the years went on and I needed more help, the others came on board as well."

"You weren't worried about having ex-military members who were suffering from PTSD working around the kids?"

"I was worried at first," Peter admitted.  "But once Bobbi, Tess, and Deke started, I realized that they were looking for something completely opposite of what they'd done in the military.  They'd seen the horrors of war and how that affected the children in Iraq and Afghanistan, so they wanted to do something to help the kids back here at home who were also facing traumatic circumstances.  It also helped them deal with their own traumas.

"After I got to know those three, I had no problems hiring the others.  It's also nice to know that I have people who are willing to risk their lives to keep these kids safe from outside threats.  Once we draw your ex away from the ranch, the rest of the staff can safely get the kids up to Bluestone and off his radar.  I won't worry about the kids at all with the men and women I have working here."

"That's actually a really good plan," YN agreed.  "So, where are we going to go?"

"You're not going to fight me on this?" Peter asked with a wary look in his eye.

"I'm stubborn, but I'm not stupid, Peter.  Billy is coming for me no matter what I do.  I don't like the idea of you risking your life for me, but I know if the tables were turned, I'd do the same for you."

Peter couldn't deny the truth of her statement, but there was a part of him that wondered if her sense of loyalty to him was for the same reason as his was for her.  He knew he probably pushing too fast, too soon, but he needed to at least test the waters to see if her feelings toward him had changed in the past few weeks.

"When are we going to do something about this unspoken thing between us?"

YN's heart leapt within her chest at his words.  He might not have said the words out loud, but his meaning couldn't have been clearer.  She just hated that he'd chosen now of all times to bring it up.  She knew she wasn't in the right frame of mind to handle this particular conversation, and she hated to lie to him, but for the moment it was the right thing to do.

"What unspoken thing?"

With a sigh he decided to let the matter drop, but he was almost positive that she wasn't being honest with him.  He was sure she knew exactly what he was talking about, but for now he'd just have to settle for the fact that she wasn't pushing him away.

"Nat should have everyone in the barn by now," he said, changing the subject.  "Let's go get this over with and then you can go pack a bag."

"We still need to go to Rowan and Steve's," she reminded him as he helped her to her feet and began leading her toward the door.  "They need to know about Billy so they can take measures to keep Sarah safe.  Plus, I promised them food for this evening and the rest of the week."

"Don't worry, we'll be heading over to Wolf Creek as soon as we finish here."

Peter led her out of the office and toward the barn.  Her stomach was cramping again and she wouldn't be surprised that if at some point today, she finally gave into the inevitable and threw up.  With the amount of stress she was under at the moment, she wouldn't feel the least bit guilty about it.

When she walked into the barn, she could all but feel the tension hanging in the air like a thick fog.  Nat must have given everyone a heads up that this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation since the faces that stared back at her were all somber and filled with worry.

She reached out for Peter's hand and instantly felt comforted by the way his fingers interlaced with hers.  It was almost as though he was transferring some of his strength to her through his touch because as soon as her hand was firmly settled in his a sense of peace washed over her.  

Wanting to get this over with as soon as possible, she jumped right in.  Knowing that most of the people she was talking to were ex-military, she made it a point to emphasize Billy's military service and subsequent job with his former commander.  They needed to know that they were up against someone that was just as highly trained as most of them.

She glossed over most of the more sensitive details, but from the sympathetic looks she got from the women, she knew they had read between the lines of what she'd been saying.  It was embarrassing to admit that she'd been so weak for so long, and had taken Billy's abuse for as many years as she had.  But she tried to remind herself that she'd been strong enough to walk away from him once, and she was determined that she would never allow him to hurt her again.

"I know Colonel Schoonover," Bobbi said with disgust when YN mentioned Billy's former commander and current boss.  "He was a nasty son of a bitch when he was in the Army, and I have no doubt whatever operation he's running down in Florida is just as corrupt as Cerberus Squad was."

"Wasn't Frank Castle in Cerberus with them?" Jeffrey asked.

"I've heard that name before," YN said as she tried to recall who he was.

"I'm surprised," Bobbi said with wide eyes.  "I'll never believe that they didn't set him to take the fall after the mission in Kandahar went south.  Frank was a good guy that didn't deserve what they did to him.  If you heard them talking about him, that wasn't a conversation you were ever supposed to hear."

"So Billy is an even bigger monster than I gave him credit for?" YN asked as she let out a breath and shook her head.

"You can't blame yourself," Hunter said as he stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on YN's shoulder.  "Sociopaths are notoriously charming and most people don't suspect there's something off about them until some stressful event triggers them."

"You're right, Hunter," Peter said as he began to nod his head.  "I had him pegged as a psychopath, but he's definitely a sociopath which makes him even more dangerous, especially to the kids.  YN and I have a plan to draw him away from the ranch today so you all can safely get the kids to Bluestone in the morning.  We have reason to believe that he's watching us from the ridge behind the cabins, so we need to be extra vigilant.  I don't want the kids out of the main cabin for any reason today."

"As soon as you and YN leave, Bobbi and I will head up to the ridge and see if we can track him," Hunter said before looking at YN.  "Do you have a photo so we know who we're looking for?"

YN nodded as she pulled out her phone and ran a quick Google search.  She'd trashed her old phone years ago, so she didn't have any recent pictures of ex-husband which was just the way she liked it.  Finding a picture of him on Schoonover's company website, she gave her phone to Hunter who then handed it off to the next person to pass around the group.

"Oh my God," Agnes said as her face turned white.  "I've seen him before."

"Where?" Peter asked, instantly concerned.

Agnes looked up at her boss with eyes that seemed to be pleading for forgiveness.  "At the mall with the kids.  He complimented me on my shirt and asked about the ranch."  She turned to YN as her eyes filled up with tears.  "I'm so sorry, YN."

YN walked over and took the other woman's hands in her own.  "It's not your fault, Agnes.  He's handsome and charming and if you hadn't told him, he would have just Googled it on his own.  Please don't blame yourself.” YN turned to address the whole group. "This is my fault. I should have been honest with you from the start, but I was ashamed and now all of you are in danger because of me."

"No," Nat said as an angry look came over her face.  "This is not your fault, YN.  This is his fault and I refuse to let you take the blame for his actions."

There was a chorus of like sentiments from the rest of the group as they all offered her sympathetic looks.  Peter squeezed her hand and she turned to meet his gaze.  If she hadn't been sure of his feelings toward her before, there was no denying it now – the look of love in his eyes was completely unmistakable.

 

An hour later she and Peter were packed and in his truck heading down Route 12.  He'd insisted that she only take a small duffle, but he hadn't mentioned where they were going yet.  As he drove, she thought back to the conversation she'd just had with all of her coworkers at the ranch.  She still couldn't get over how accepting and understanding they'd been.  She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting from them, but it wasn't their full, and unconditional support.  She guessed that she had been conditioned by her parents and her friends from back home to anticipate judgmental attitudes and victim blaming.  Those reactions had definitely not come into play this afternoon at all, and for that she was eternally grateful.  Now she just hoped that she and Peter could somehow deal with Billy so that she could continue to stay in Thousand Oaks and fully develop the life she'd just begun.

As Peter pulled up to Rowan's house, she got a text from Steve.  The doctor was doing one last check on Rowan and Sarah and then they'd be heading home.  She sent him a quick text to let him know that she and Peter were already at the house and that lunch would be waiting for them.

As she headed to the kitchen to begin putting the lasagna together, Peter stayed behind in the living room to make a few phone calls.  She heard him say Sam's name before she tuned him out and focused on cooking.  It made sense that he would call the Sheriff, but knowing that law enforcement would be involved didn't give her the comforting feeling she knew she should have.

The police in Florida had seemed so helpful at first, but it had been their mistake that had allowed Billy to get released on a technicality.  She was pretty sure that it hadn't been intentional on their part, but now she just wasn't as trusting of the American justice system as she had been a few years ago.

"Bucky's on his way over," Peter told her as she slid the casserole dish into the oven.

"Bucky's coming?"

"Yeah.  I figured it would be best to have him keep an eye on this place so Steve could focus on Rowan and the baby."

"What about Sam?  Isn't he coming, too?"

"He is, but he’s not coming to the house.” He saw the confused look on her face, so he added, “I’ll explain it all once Steve and Rowan get back.”

"Did you tell Sam and Bucky the whole story?"

"I hope you don't mind.  I just figured you were sick of talking about it today."

"No, you're right," she said as she took his hand.  "I still need to tell Steve and Rowan that he's here, but at least I don't have to go over all the grisly details with them."

Peter pulled her closer to him and for a moment he thought she might resist.  When she melted into him, he wrapped his arms around her and just held on.  This morning had started out so promising, but now he had no idea where they stood or what would happen between them once things started to get really dicey.

He wasn't sure how long they stood in the middle of the kitchen like that, but when they heard the sound of car doors shutting, they broke apart with sad smiles.  There was something in the way she was looking at him that gave him pause.

"What?"

She hadn't been ready to admit it earlier in the afternoon, and she still wasn't ready to put herself out there completely, but she felt he deserved to have some idea of how she felt, even if she didn't say the one thing she longed to tell him.

"It's just...some unspoken thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 24 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  Well, the truth is finally out there, and they’re so close to admitting their feelings!! Are you glad she’s letting Peter help her? He has a plan. . .and since he made it, it might be really good! Sorry, couldn’t help myself there. . . Anyway, he has a plan and so far he’s got the kids taken care of, but now we just have to wait and see how Sam plays into it all. . .any theories??? I look forward to your comments!_


	25. Chapter 25

YN and Peter were at the front door ready to greet the new parents as Steve held the baby carrier in one hand while the other was firmly on his wife's elbow as she carefully walked up the short flight of steps to the porch.  YN could already see how protective Steve was of his daughter as she caught him glancing down at her sleeping face every few seconds.

Peter cast furtive glances toward the distance as he prayed that Billy wasn't out there watching them.  He agreed with YN that her ex-husband was probably only interested in her and him, but he didn't want to take a chance and put any of his friends in the crosshairs of the madman.  As he watched Steve and Rowan slowly come up the stairs, he bit his tongue to stop himself from hurrying them along.  He wanted everyone in the safety of the house until he and YN could lure Billy away from the main part of the ranch.

Rowan had that glow about her that all new mothers seemed to possess, and YN felt a stab of envy upon seeing the happy little family.  She glanced over at Peter as she wondered if there was a chance that the two of them could one day find that kind of happiness.  He briefly met her eye and gave her a little half smile that made her question whether or not he was thinking the same thing she was.  The two of them had all but admitted their feelings toward one another, but she was still scared that whatever there was between them wouldn't be strong enough to survive the events of the upcoming night.

Once Steve, Rowan, and Sarah were safely in the house, YN began oohing and aahing over the baby.  Rowan unstrapped her from the carrier and cradled her lovingly in her arms as YN slid one finger into Sarah's tiny grasp.

"She's beautiful," YN said, truly meaning her words.  

YN had seen some ugly babies in her lifetime, and had always managed to lie convincingly to the oblivious parents, but this baby was truly gorgeous.  Sarah had her father's strong jawline, but YN could see small traces of Rowan in the shape of her eyes and the curve of her lips.

"She has her father's blue eyes," Rowan said as she gently brushed a finger over her daughter's sleeping face.  "You'll see once she wakes up."

Peter and Steve were having their own whispered conversation, and while YN knew what they were most likely talking about, she wanted to put off telling Rowan for a few more minutes.  She hated that she was going to spoil this day for her friends, but she also knew that they needed to be prepared for what was coming.

"Are you hungry?" YN asked as she placed a hand on the small of Rowan's back and began leading her toward the kitchen.  "I've got the lasagna in the oven, but I though would could make paninis for lunch."

"Ham and cheese, or turkey and cheese?" Rowan asked as her mouth began to water.  "You know what, I don't care.  The food at the hospital was horrible this morning, so I'll eat just about anything that wasn't mass produced in a cafeteria."

YN began to laugh.  She'd remembered how much Rowan had hated the cafeteria food in college, so she knew that Rowan would have skipped lunch in favor of eating at home.  "I took the liberty of having the deli at Parker's slice both ham and turkey."

"Perfect."  Rowan looked back at Steve and Peter.  "Are you two coming?  Cause if you're not, I'm eating without you."

Steve's face morphed from concerned to jovial in the blink of an eye as he and Peter began walking toward the kitchen.  "We're coming, sweetheart."

Peter went to the fridge to get the lunch meat, cheese, hummus, and fresh vegetables YN had sliced earlier while she plugged in the panini maker and retrieved glasses from the cabinet beside the stove.  Once she'd asked everyone's preference, she quickly put together the sandwiches and placed them in the press to grill.  Rowan had placed Sarah back in her carrier and had already devoured half of the hummus by the time YN made it to the table.

YN knew that this was probably the best moment to fill Rowan in on what had been going on while she'd been in the hospital, but there was a part of her foolishly believed that if she didn't speak about it, it wasn't really happening.  Peter was giving her a look that clearly stated that if she didn't tell Rowan, he was going to do it himself.

Taking a deep breath, she let it out and opened her mouth to begin, but she was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.  When she saw Bucky walking into the house, she knew there was no getting around the inevitable.

"What are you doing here, Bucky?" Rowan asked with a confused look on her face.  "I didn't figure you'd be over until later this evening."

Bucky looked at Steve and Peter before turning his gaze toward YN.  "You haven't told her yet."

"Told me what?"

"I was just about to," YN said as she reached over and placed a hand over Rowan's.

Rowan's eyes were full of concern when she looked back at YN.  "He found you, didn't he?"

Unable to speak, YN simply shook her head.

"When?"

"A few days ago, we think," Peter spoke up when he noticed the tears beginning to form in YN's eyes.  "He stopped Agnes at the mall in Missoula and asked about her shirt.  YN got a postcard from him today. . ."

"You think he's here in Thousand Oaks?" Rowan interrupted as she turned her attention back to YN.

Finally finding her courage again, YN answered her.  "I'd bet my life on it.  I think he's been camping out on the ridge behind the cabins keeping an eye on me.  He'd want to know for sure that I got the postcard and that I knew he was coming back for me."

"What do you think he's going to do?" Steve asked.

YN shook her head.  "I can't say for certain.  But if I had to guess, I'd say he'll most likely try to kill Peter and take me with him somewhere.  He's been out of prison for a while, so he's had time to plan this out.  He'll want me to pay for what I did to him, but I'm honestly not sure if he'll kill me now or. . ." She trailed off for a moment, unable to actually voice her fears aloud.

"He's not going to get the chance," Bucky said as he fixed his steely gaze on YN.  "Peter has a pretty good plan, and that jackass is on our turf so he doesn't stand a chance of besting us."

"What's the plan?" Steve asked. 

YN got up to grab the sandwiches as Peter began laying out the plan he and Sam had devised.  He hadn't shared the details with her, so she was just as interested as everyone else to know where they were going.  Before he got into the particulars, she asked Bucky if he wanted a sandwich and at his nod began putting it together.  She preferred to have something to do with her hands while Peter addressed the small group.

"I called Sam and filled him in on the whole story," Peter began as YN placed a sandwich in front of him.  He gave her a smile of thanks and took a bite before he continued.  "He and Trip are heading to the shed now.  I had them come in from Bucky's property just in case Billy followed us from Blackwater Falls.  Hunter and Bobbi went up to the ridge after we left to see if they can find any trace of him, but I won't be surprised if they don't."

"So, you two are going to the shed tonight?" Rowan asked as she played with her sandwich, too nervous now to eat.

Peter nodded his head.  "It's out in the open there by the creek, so once Sam and Trip are in position, they'll be able to spot him if he starts heading that way."

"What's your endgame here, Peter?" Bucky asked with a worried look.

"Sam ran him through the system, and he called the station that handled his initial arrest.  Turns out there's still a restraining order out against him for YN, so Sam wants to bring him in on that."

"A restraining order violation?" YN asked with a wide-eyed look.  

"You said yourself that he's bound to be armed," Peter reminded her.  "Sam will come up with some other charges related to that, but it's all he's got to go on."

YN let out a sigh and shook her head.  "He'll weasel his way out of something that simple."

Peter reached out and grabbed her hand.  "You have to trust Sam, and the system."

"I did trust the system, and look where that got me."

"Peter's right," Rowan said, drawing YN's attention back to her.  "This is the best plan.  At least if he's in jail, you won't have to worry about him."

YN shook her head in agreement because she knew that's what they wanted her to do, but they didn't understand Billy – not like she did.  She knew how charming he could be, and if he got a chance to speak to a judge, he'd have him or her snowballed within five minutes and walking free in less than twenty.  She wasn't quite sure what she was going to do, but she had to make sure that Billy's arrest was for more than just a restraining order violation.

Peter's phone pinged and he looked down at the screen.  "Hunter just texted.  He and Bobbi think they found where Billy's been camping out, but he's long gone."

YN glanced toward one of the windows.  "He's somewhere out there – I can feel it."

Peter rose from the table and went to Steve's office.  A few moments later he came back with a couple of walkie talkies.  He handed one to Bucky and kept the other for himself.  

"Star-Lord to Falcon, do you copy?" Peter said as he depressed the button to talk into the communication device.

"This is Falcon.  General Jones and I are in position, over," Sam replied.

"Who's General Jones?" YN asked.

"That's Trip," Bucky said with a roll of his eyes.  "It's a long story, but he's Sam's deputy."

"Copy that," Peter said.  "The White Wolf is in position guarding Team Cap.  I'll be heading your way with the package in less than sixty, over."

YN wasn't sure where the nicknames had come from, but she was offended that she hadn't gotten one.  "I assume I'm the 'package.'"

Bucky gave Peter a knowing look before he made his way to the counter to retrieve his own sandwich.  

Peter turned back to YN with an abashed look on his face.  "Did you want your own call sign?"

"Really?" she asked with a shake of her.  "Anything's better than the 'package.'"

"What did you have in mind?" Steve asked as he tried to relieve the tension between Peter and YN.

She thought for a moment before answering.  "Merricat."

Peter looked confused.  "What's a Merricat?"

"Not what – who," Rowan said with a devious grin.  "She's a character from a book."

With a shake of his head, Peter depressed the button to speak into the walkie talkie again.  "Star-Lord to Falcon.  The package will now be referred to as Merricat, over."

"Copy that," Sam replied.

Peter stood up and reached out a hand to YN.  "We need to get going.  I want to be there well before dark."

YN took his hand and stood up.  "Do you think there's a chance he'll strike before sundown?"

"Probably not, but it would make things a whole lot easier."

YN said her goodbyes to Rowan and Steve before grabbing her bag and heading to the barn.  Steve had put up a fuss at being sidelined, but Peter reminded him that his first priority needed to be Rowan and the baby.  Bucky was there to keep an eye on the perimeter of the house so Steve could spend some time with his wife and child on their first night home as a family.

Peter assured Steve that he and YN would take a couple of the work horses out to the shed, and not some of Steve and Rowan's prized thoroughbreds.  YN was thankful that she'd had as much experience in the saddle as she could get these past few months since the horse she ended up with was much more spirited than Nova or Frigga. 

Once Peter had secured their bags to the backs of the saddles, they mounted their horses and began heading across the wide open field toward the shed a few miles away.  YN's stomach was in knots as she tried not to imagine Billy lying in wait somewhere with a high-powered rifle centered on their backs.  She was pretty sure he wouldn't strike at them now, especially since they were still so close to the main ranch, but once the building were out of sight, her nerves became frazzled.

"It'll be okay," Peter assured her once they were completely alone on the wide open ranch.

"You can't know that for sure," she admonished him.  "Billy is completely unpredictable, and it's making me sick to think about him hurting an innocent bystander that mistakenly gets in his way."

Peter reached out a hand toward her and she let loose of her reins with one hand to interlace her fingers with his.  He gave her hand a squeeze as he allowed the worry he felt show on his face.

"I'm terrified of that as well," he admitted as he too cast a look around trying to discern any spots where someone could be hiding in wait.

Within a few more minutes, the small shed Rowan had described came into view.  YN was well aware of the particular structure on her friend's property and she was almost embarrassed to actually see it firsthand after all of the stories Rowan had told her about it.  It was a ramshackle building with rough-hewn wooden siding that hadn't seen a coat of paint in decades, but the metal roof atop it seemed intact enough to protect the occupants from the weather.  There was one window to the left of the front door and a tiny lean-to attached to the back where the horses would stay sheltered until morning.

Once she and Peter had dismounted, he'd pulled a gun she hadn't been aware that he'd been carrying and cautiously peered around the corner of the lean-to before heading to the front door and doing the same there.  Sam had already told him that he and Trip had checked the shed, but that had been a few hours ago, so Peter wasn't taking any chances.  When he was sure that they were alone, he sent YN inside with the bags while he took the horses to the lean-to to stable them for the night.

Evening was still upon them, but the sun was slowly beginning its decent toward the horizon and YN knew that the dark of night would come sooner than she would've liked.  As she walked into the small outpost, she stopped just inside the door and did a quick survey of the place.  The inside of the shed was a much more welcome sight than the outside had been.  

Rowan had told her that once she'd moved back home, she and Steve had spent a few weeks fixing up the place as a sort of retreat for them.  The interior walls were painted a warm neutral tan that brought out the natural gleam of the oak flooring and cabinets in the small kitchenette.  The queen sized bed had an old quilt spread across it with decorative throw pillows that gave the space a homey look that YN hadn't really been expecting. The stone fireplace was spotless, and there was a pile of firewood sitting in the grate ready to light whenever it was needed.

YN walked across the old wooden floorboards that creaked and groaned under her weight to check out the bathroom located behind the only interior door.  Rowan had told her that they drew water from the creek a few dozen yards away for the sinks, but since there was no electricity, if you wanted hot water, you'd have to boil it on the potbelly stove in the kitchen or over the fire in the fireplace.  YN had been skeptical of the compost toilet, but once she'd opened the door to the bathroom, she'd been surprised to find that there was no smell at all.

It had taken her less time to complete the full tour of the shed than it had for Peter to settle the horses for the night, so she began sifting through the bags she and Peter had packed.  Rowan had insisted that they bring some of the lasagna in to-go containers, so YN went to one of the cabinets and retrieved a few plates so she and Peter could eat dinner. She knew that neither of them were especially hungry, but they needed something to do to occupy their time until Billy decided to show up.

Just as she was setting the plates on the small table in the kitchen, Peter came through the door.  He took a quick look around the room and gave his signature nod of approval before coming over and taking a seat at the table.

"This looks amazing," he said as he grabbed his fork and cut off a piece.  "You made it, so I know it's going to taste better than it looks."

The simple compliment brought a smile to her face.  She felt like it was the first time she'd smiled in years.  It had only been this morning that she'd awoken in his bed with his arms wrapped around her.  She wished with all of her heart that they were back there now and that her ex-husband wasn't a sociopath that was currently stalking them.  Didn't they both deserve to catch a break at some point in their lives?

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it," Peter said with a smile.  He waited for her to smile at him again, if only to prove to himself that they could still find a shred of happiness in spite of their circumstances.  

As he thought about the impending threat, his mind wandered back to this afternoon when she'd almost admitted to him that she loved him.  He'd given up denying his love for her weeks ago, but he hadn't been brave enough to broach the subject for fear that he would scare her off.  In light of recent events, he felt that it was finally time to lay it all on the line and take a chance with her.  

"I love you, YN."

She'd been toying with the lasagna on her plate, but when she heard those softly whispered words, her eyes quickly focused on him again.  She wasn't sure what emotion she'd been expecting to see on his, and to be honest, she really hadn't had enough time to truly contemplate it.  But when she looked into his eyes and saw the truth of his words reflecting back, her heart began to swell.

"Peter. . ."

"Don't say anything," he interrupted as he held up a hand.  "I know you're probably not ready to deal with all of this right now, but I felt like I needed to tell you."

She dropped her head and began to laugh.  "You're an idiot, Peter Quill."

"What?  Why?"

Getting up from her seat, she walked around to his side of the table and reached out for his hands.  Obliging her, he placed his in hers and let her pull him to his feet.  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned in kissed him lightly.

Pulling back, she looked him in the eye.  "I love you, too."

The smile that came across his face could only be described as radiant.  She knew that wasn't a word most people used to describe a man, but there wasn't another adjective that could him justice in that moment.  He looked like a kid that had woken up on Christmas morning to find a puppy waiting for him under the tree.

"I know I'm probably rushing this, but I'd really like for you to consider moving in with me once all of this blows over."

She was fully aware that the look of shock on her face was evident for him to see, but he'd been expecting it.  There was nothing she'd love more than to wake up next to him every morning for the rest of her life, but she was also a pragmatic woman.  While Sam, Peter, Steve, and Bucky all thought arresting Billy tonight would signal the end of this nightmare, she knew better.  Billy had managed to slip through cracks in the justice system once before and she was terrified that he would be able to do it once again.  If he went to jail a second time because of her, there's no telling what punishment he would heap upon her head once he got out again.

"As much as I'd love to start planning a future with you, I can't start putting down any real roots until I'm sure that Billy is truly gone from my life."

"He'll never lay a hand on you again while I'm still breathing," Peter swore as his eyes began to darken with rage.  It was an irrational thought, but somehow he felt like he'd failed her somehow by allowing her ex-husband to abuse her for so long.  He knew it was ridiculous because he hadn't even known she existed at the time, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling guilty.  If only Steve hadn't been such an idiot back in college.  Rowan may have brought YN home with her one weekend and then he would've had a chance to fall in love with her before she ever even met Billy Russo.  His entire life would have turned out different, but they both would've been better off.

He mentally shook his head to clear his thoughts.  He knew it was foolhardy to engage in wishful thinking, especially while they were supposed to be on guard.  The past was over and done with, and no amount of what-if-ing could change the circumstances of where they were at this moment.  All they could do was survive this night so they could start planning their future together.

He stepped out of her embrace and ran a hand over his face.  "Do you know how to shoot a gun?"

She gave him a devious grin.  "Once I moved back home, I enrolled in a gun safety course and then spent an hour a day, six days a week at the local shooting range.  I have my concealed carry permit for North Carolina.  I've meaning to take the classes here, but I was scared Sam would start asking questions that I wasn't ready to answer just yet."

Peter was a little shocked, although he knew he shouldn't be.  "Okay, then.  I brought an extra gun just in case.  It's a Glock 19.  Are you familiar with that gun?"

She shook her head.  "That's what I've got in my bag right now."

"You brought it with you?"

She gave him a chiding look.  "Did you really think I wouldn't have a gun on me knowing that Billy was going to show up any minute?"

"Where did you have it?"

"I kept it at Rowan's," she explained with a shrug.  "I didn't feel comfortable bringing it around the kids, but I'd planned to ask you about it today before all of this started."

"You're amazing, do you know that?" he asked as he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her on the forehead.

"Hmph.  I'm on the run from a psycho ex-husband, I have trust issues that would keep any therapist in business for decades, and I sleep best with a Glock under my pillow every night – amazing isn't exactly the word I would use to describe myself."

"You don't see yourself the way that I do," he argued.  "It's because of all those things you listed that I think you're amazing.  I've known a lot of women in my life, and I guarantee most of them couldn't have handled one of those, let alone all three of them."

"Tell me again why you're still single?"

"Because I was apparently waiting on you and didn't know it."

"Dammit," she said with a laugh.  "You know exactly what to say to charm your way into a woman's pants."

"Oh, is that on the agenda for tonight?" he asked with wide-eyed enthusiasm.

"Probably not a good idea to be caught with our pants down tonight," she teased.  "But once this is all over, I plan to show you just how much I appreciate you sticking by me through this."

"I'll be looking forward to it."

He wanted to say more, but the walkie talkie sitting on the table crackled and Sam's voice could be heard as he radioed in for his hourly check.  Peter picked up the device and after a quick look through the window by the door reported that all was clear on their end.  He waited a moment and Trip could be heard giving his update.

In one short moment, YN had been abruptly brought back to the present and the seriousness of the situation they were in.  She would have loved to have forgotten the real reason why they were isolated in a run-down shed in the middle of nowhere and made use of the inviting bed in the corner, but both she and Peter needed to stay alert for when Billy came.  Because it really was a matter of when, not if.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 25 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  So, what do you think of Peter’s plan? Do you think they’ll be able to best Billy? Do you think that arresting him for a restraining order violation will hold him jail? Will the Reader ever feel comfortable knowing that Billy may get out of prison at any time? I look forward to your comments!_


	26. Chapter 26

_He had been on the ridge above the ranch for days observing his whore of a wife.  The longer he watched the way she threw herself at that bastard, the more he realized he wanted to kill him.  He'd keep her alive, at least for a few years.  That bitch needed to learn her lesson before he decided whether or not to kill her too._

_He'd questioned his decision to send the postcard, but in the end he knew her fear would taste sweeter if she had time to stew in it before he came for her.  Seeing the red-headed slut take in the mail had pissed him off royally since he'd been denied the opportunity to witness Nina's reaction to his carefully thought out message._

_When he saw the entire staff slowly make their way to the barn, he realized his mistake.  He'd assumed that she would be too ashamed to tell them the truth about herself, but apparently Nina had gone and run her mouth to these strangers.  With a curse, he realized that his plan may have just backfired on him._

_It had seemed like hours before she and her lover had exited the barn and headed back to his house, but Billy was a patient man and he had nothing but time on his hands.  He'd wondered what they would do next, and he wasn't surprised when they came out of the house a few minutes later and left the ranch. He'd been preparing for this day for months, so he wasn't worried when they started running.  Pulling out his phone, he pulled up the app that showed him the location of the tracker he'd put on the undercarriage of the truck a few days ago._

_When the truck finally stopped and stayed still for thirty minutes, Billy packed up his gear and began hiking through the woods.  The path he'd mapped out for himself would take him almost an hour to get to where the truck was parked, but whenever he checked the app it showed that the vehicle hadn't moved.  Wherever they'd run to, they must have felt safe enough to stay for a while and that worked just fine for him._

_Billy found a spot a few hundred yards away from the house off Route 12 and waited to see what Nina would do next.  When he saw his wife and her lover saddle a few horses and head off toward the west, he couldn't believe his luck.  A part of him wanted to pick them both off where they were, but he reigned in his anger and focused on the plan he'd carefully thought out while he'd spent those few months in jail being tortured by his fellow inmates._

_He'd kept them in his crosshairs until he saw them reach the small shack by the creek.  Was Nina really that stupid?  Didn't she know that the idiot she was screwing was no match for him?  He chuckled to himself as he thought about all the things he was going to do to once he finally had her in his grasp again.  Settling in with his dark fantasies, he waited for night to fall so he could finally put an end to this charade his wife insisted on acting out._

_The shack had stayed dark even after the sun had set hours beforehand, and for a moment he worried that they'd somehow snuck past him.  He repacked his rifle and began carefully moving toward the rundown building where his wife had so foolishly taken shelter.  As he grew closer, he heard the distinctive sound of a walkie talkie.  Realizing his mistake, he carefully backed away and quietly observed the man who'd set up camp between him and Nina._

_When the man radioed in exactly one hour later, Billy knew this was his moment to pounce.  He'd heard two different voices over the walkie talkies, so he knew there was one more man lying in wait for him.  If he was lucky, the other sentry was on the opposite side of the shack.  If he got past this obstacle now, he would have exactly one hour to get to the shack, kill the bastard, and get Nina before the third person ever realized that Billy had gotten the best of them._

_Creeping through the underbrush as quietly as he could, he slipped the knife from the sheath on his thigh.  Billy was known for his ability to stalk his prey unnoticed, but this man wasn't some backwoods hick and before Billy could sneak up behind him, he'd turned around and come at him with a knife of his own._

_As the other man arced his knife toward Billy's chest, he felt a moment of panic.  Quickly stifling it, he dodged the knife and used his momentum to slice across the other man's arm as he moved out of the way.  He heard a grunt of pain and knew he'd hit his mark.  Not waiting for the other man to get his bearings, Billy came at him again, but this time he was aiming for the chest._

_The other man was good, and was able to dodge Billy's attack, but he wasn't good enough to draw blood.  Billy played with him for a few minutes as he learned his movements.  The man was big, and he was agile, but he telegraphed his moves before he made them.  It didn't take Billy long to find an opening, and when he did, he went in for the kill.  With one quick slice to the jugular, the fight was over.  Billy watched as the man reached for his throat in vain before falling to the ground.  He stepped closer and leaned down to watch the light fade from his opponent's eyes.  There was something he loved about seeing the life drain out of a man._

 

Peter went to YN's bag to retrieve her Glock and do a quick check of the weapon while she busied herself cleaning up the dishes from dinner.  It was going to be a long night, but she held onto the hope that, by some miracle, once morning came it would all be over.

She and Peter sat at the small table as the sun finally dipped below the horizon and the sky outside began to darken.  They'd talked of things they'd never really thought to discuss before, their voices nothing more than hushed whispers as they waited for the danger they anticipated to finally arrive.  Sam and Trip continued to check in every hour, but the time in between those hours seemed to drag on as their stress level continued to climb.

It was just after midnight when Sam radioed in his update.  "This is Falcon.  All clear on my end, over."

"Copy that, Falcon.  Star-Lord and Merricat all clear, over."

YN waited to hear Trip's voice calling an all clear, but they were met with silence.  She looked over at Peter and saw the worry begin to etch lines on his face the longer the silence stretched out.

"General Jones, do you copy?" Sam asked as his voice crackled over the radio.

Silence.

"Falcon to General Jones, do you copy?" Sam repeated.

YN could hear the worry in Sam's voice as a chill ran down her spine.  She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath as she offered up a silent prayer for the deputy.  It was probably too late for divine intervention, and guilt began to mingle in with the nervousness and anxiety she was feeling.  Billy was here, he was coming for her, and there might not be anything she could do to stop it.

"Peter. . ."

"Don't go there," he warned.  "We don't have time for guilt right now.  That bastard is coming, if he's not already here right now and we need to be on guard."

"I'm heading your way, Star-Lord.  Over," Sam said after a few moments.

"Copy that, Falcon," Peter answered. 

No sooner than Peter had signed off, they heard the high-pitched scream of a horse.  With wide eyes they both looked at one another in terror.

"Do you smell that?" YN asked as she caught a whiff of smoke seeping though the worn boards between the shed and the lean-to.

"That son of a bitch is trying to smoke us out," Peter said before letting loose a string of curses that would make a sailor blush.

YN grabbed her gun from the table and popped the magazine to check that it was full.  Shoving the magazine back in place, she flipped the gun to the side as she pulled the slide to make sure she had one bullet chambered before releasing the slide and rising from her seat.

"You check on the horses and I'll sweep the perimeter," she told him as she headed for the door.

"Absolutely not," he said as he jumped up from his seat and stood in front of her.  "You're staying in here until I get back.  Do not leave this shed for any reason, do you hear me?"

"Peter. . ."

"No arguments," he hissed at her in an angry whisper.  "I can't lose you – not when I just found you.  Please promise me that you'll stay here."

Her shoulders slumped as she let out a dejected breath.  She hated that he wanted her to stay on the sidelines, but with the way his eyes were pleading with her, she couldn't bring herself to start a fight with him.

"I'll stay," she conceded.

He had to settle for cupping her face with one hand since the other held his gun, but it didn't stop him from leaning in and giving her one more kiss.  "I'll be right back.  Lock the door behind me."

She did as he asked, but as she turned around to the face the room, she saw the smoke growing thicker.  If Peter wasn't able to get the fire under control she would have no choice but to break her promise to him unless she wanted to die from smoke inhalation.

The screams of the horses grew louder by the minute and as YN continued to wait by the door, she tried to tell herself that there was a logical explanation for why he hadn't rescued the poor animals yet.  When the smoke began to fill her lungs causing her to cough with each breath she took, she knew the time had come for her to chance the unknown horrors awaiting her on the other side of the door.

She flattened herself against the wall as she unlocked the door and turned the knob enough to loosen the catch.  With her foot she began to slowly widen the opening.  The horses were still screaming, but the sound of their cries were drowned out by the rushing of her own blood through her ears.  She was shocked at how still her hands were as they lightly gripped the gun, especially since she felt as though her whole body was quivering in panic.

When the door was open enough for her to slip through, she eased herself out of the shed and into the night.  Her eyes were already adjusted to the darkness since she and Peter hadn't turned on any type of light, but she was unfamiliar with the lay of the land.  Every shadow she saw held the potential to be Billy, but she didn't dare stare too long in one spot for fear of him sneaking up on her.

With both hands gripping her gun, she lowered it to one side as she began to inch her way to the corner of the shed to look back toward the lean-to.  The light from the fire was casting an orange glow over the grass and she was terrified to see what awaited her once she was around the side of the building.

When she finally made it to the corner and looked toward the lean-to, all of her fears suddenly came to life.  Lying in the entrance to the shelter was the seemingly lifeless form of Peter.  Quickly shoving her gun into the front waistband of her pants she began to run toward him, heedlessly calling out his name.

Before she could make it to him, a set of strong arms wrapped around her.  One arm came around her torso pinning her arms to her side as the other hand clamped down on her mouth.  Inhaling sharply through her nose, she immediately recognized the scent of her ex-husband.  For a moment, terror overtook her and she allowed herself to be dragged backward as he tried to get her away from the shed and into the wooded copse a few yards away.

From somewhere deep inside of her, rage began to boil.  She'd spent too many years being compliant and allowing Billy Russo to have his way with her, but that stopped tonight.  With a sudden surge of courage, she leaned forward and bit down on his hand as hard as she could.  

Billy screamed in agony, and his grip loosened enough for her to break free of his hold on her.  In one fluid moment, she grabbed the gun from the waistband of her pants and twisted around to aim it right between his eyes.  The glow from the fire illuminated his face for her to see, and she was shocked to find his once beautiful face marred by deep scars that crisscrossed over his cheeks and eyes.

"See what you did to me, baby?" he asked sweetly as he wrapped his bleeding hand in the hem of his shirt while the other one held a gun pointed right at her.

"Souvenirs from prison, I assume."

"You've developed a smart mouth," he snarled.  "That's not very becoming for a lady.  I'll have to teach you some manners once we get back to Florida."

"I hate to break it to you, _baby_ , but I'm not going anywhere with you."

"What?  Are you going to kill me?"

She widened her stance and leveled the gun as she stared him down.  "You killed that deputy didn't you?"

A slow, evil grin spread across his face.  "You're not going to ask about your lover?  Don't you care if he's dead or not?"  He let out a laugh.  "You're such a whore, Nina.  You don't really care who's dick you're screwing as long as you're getting off, am I right?"

"You're going to want to drop that weapon," Sam said as he appeared from the shadows to the right of them.

"Not today, Sheriff," Billy said, not bothering to look in Sam's direction.  "Me and the missus have some personal business to attend to.  You run along and take care of the bastard that was screwing my wife."

"I'm not your wife," YN spat at him.  She'd noticed that he hadn't told Sam that Peter was dead, but she wasn't sure if one simple phrase from a madman was enough to pin her hopes on.  "Sam, please go check on Peter for me, and if you can, save the horses.  I'll take care of Billy."

"YN. . ." Sam began.

"Don't argue with me, Sam," she warned.  "Just go."

"Aw, that's so sweet," Billy said with a sneer.  "Maybe you really do care about him.  Too bad he's probably dead by now."

YN took a step closer to Billy as her grip tightened on her gun.  "If you killed him. . ."

"What are you going to do about it, Nina?" Billy screamed at her.  "You're nothing but a coward and a slut.  You don't have it in you to pull that trigger."

Sam took a step closer as well and Billy turned to aim his gun at him.  YN could see his finger slip over the trigger and she knew if she didn't act now, someone else would die because of her.  Before she could talk herself out of it, she aimed her gun and pulled the trigger.

The sound of a bullet exiting a gun at twenty-five hundred feet per second echoed back at her and Sam as they watched Billy crumple to the ground.  The hole in the center of his forehead was tiny, but YN knew that a headshot at that range would do more damage coming out than it did going in.  Completely sure that Billy was never going to be a problem for her again, she dropped the gun and turned to run back to the shed with Sam close on her heels.

"I'll get Peter," she told him as she leaned over and hooked her arms under his shoulders to begin dragging him backward.  "You try to save the horses."

The fire had already spread to the shed, and the flames were slowly consuming the lean-to, but they could still hear the screams of the horses inside.  YN knew that the lives of the animals weren't as important as the life she held in her arms, but if they had a horse, they could make it back to the ranch faster than if they had to wait for someone to drive out to meet them.

Once she was far enough away from the burning building, she dropped to her knees and placed two fingers along the side of Peter's neck.  She heard Sam coming up behind her with the welcome sound of hooves accompanying him.

"Is he alive?"

 

_YN was in the middle of a burning building.  Flames licked the walls all around her and there didn't seem to be any way out.  She ran from one corner to the next trying to find an escape route, and as she turned to look again, she was met with the figure of her ex-husband.  Billy was standing in the middle of the room, his faced scarred up from his time in prison, but it wasn't the scars that caught her attention.  It was the small hole in his forehead that was slowly dripping with blood._

_"I can't believe you killed me," he said with a confused look on his face.  "All I ever wanted was to make you happy."_

_She spat at his feet.  "Bullshit.  All you ever wanted was a slave that you could torment and torture.  I'm glad you're dead."_

_He began to quietly laugh.  "But am I?  As long as I'm still in your head, you'll never truly be free of me."_

_YN felt the familiar weight of a gun in her hand and she looked down to see her Glock firmly grasped in her hand.  She didn't question the appearance of the gun, but instead raised it and pointed it straight at Billy.  "Then I guess I'll just have to keep killing you until you stay dead."_

_With one squeeze of the trigger, Billy disappeared.  As the vapor where he'd once stood began to dissipate, the flames around her slowly died out revealing a door she hadn't seen before.  As she walked toward the exit, the gun in her hand disappeared, but she didn't really notice its absence.  A faint beeping could be heard, and the closer she got to the door the louder it became.  When she turned the knob, she was met with a blindingly bright light that had her squinting in pain._

"I'm sorry," a voice said from behind her.  "I didn't realize you were still here, Ms. YLN."

YN rubbed her eyes as she slowly began to open them again.  The nightmare was quickly fading and she willingly let it go.  She'd been having the same dream every time she closed her eyes these past few days, and she wasn't eager to relive it during her waking hours as well.

She turned around and greeted the nurse that had been taking care of Peter since he'd been admitted to the hospital a few nights ago.  "It's okay, Betty.  Has there been any change?"

"That's why I came in to check on him," Betty said as she walked over to the machines that continually beeped day and night.  "His heart rate and brain activity began to spike a few seconds ago."

"Does that mean he's waking up?"

YN was hopeful that these new developments meant that Peter was finally ready to come back to them.  Billy had hit him on the back of the head that night at the shed, and he'd been in a coma ever since. The doctors had been worried that the swelling in his brain could cause permanent damage and the longer he stayed unconscious, the more they worried that he might never recover.  Sam had already delivered the horrible news that Billy had indeed killed Trip, and YN was already suffocating under the weight of that guilt.  If Peter also died because of her, she wasn't sure she would ever forgive herself.

"Let's hope so," Betty said as she adjusted the rate of Peter's IV and squeezed YN's shoulder before leaving the room again.

YN reached over and took Peter's hand being careful of the IV catheter.  "Please wake up, Peter."  

The doctors had encouraged her to talk to him since they'd all heard stories that people who recovered from comas remembered hearing the voices of their loved ones while they were under.  She didn't know if he could actually hear her, but she refused to give up hope even as the days began to stretch into a week.

She began telling him about some inane childhood memory just to have something to say.  It wasn't an especially interesting story, but it helped her to pass the time.  As she neared the end of her story, she thought she felt a flutter against her palm.

"Peter?" she asked as she quickly rose to her feet to get a better look at his face.

She felt his fingers begin to tighten around her hand and she held her breath hoping that it just wasn't some random reflex.  She lifted her other hand to his face as she began to stroke his cheek and repeat his name over and over again.  Finally, she saw his eyelids begin to move.

When his eyes opened and focused on her, she began to cry.  The hand in hers tightened yet again as he struggled to speak.

"Don't cry," he croaked.

"Oh thank god," she said as she leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead.  "I thought I'd lost you."

He began to cough when he tried to speak again, so she grabbed the tumbler of water on the bedside table and positioned the straw between his lips.  He took a few tentative sips as she cautioned him to take it slow so he didn't choke.

He nodded when he was finished and she put the water back on the table and sat down on the edge of the bed beside him.  "I need to go get the doctor."

"Wait," he said, stopping her from leaving.  "Billy?  Trip?"

A sad look came over her face, and Peter knew in that moment that Trip hadn't survived.  Since YN was still here by his side, he knew that Billy was either dead or in jail, and a part of him hoped that the bastard was dead.  He was struggling to form sentences and it was driving him crazy only being able to speak a few words at a time.

"Billy killed Trip.  Sam won't give me the details, and to be honest, I'm not sure I want to know," she told him as the tears began to stream down her face.  "I can't help but think Billy wanted you to die in that fire. . ."

"You think?" Peter interrupted as his vocal cords slowly began to cooperate with his mind again.

"Billy's dead, Peter," she said as she squared her shoulders.  "He was going to kill Sam.  I didn't have a choice."

"Don't."

"I don't feel the least bit guilty for ridding the world of that sociopath," she assured him as she read between the lines of his raspy one word reply.  "I just wasn't sure how you would feel knowing that I've killed a man."

"Bastard."

"You're right," she agreed with a sardonic laugh.  "I guess now it's just time to move on from this."

"So," Peter began with a gleam in his eye.  "Moving in?"

She let out a laugh as she leaned over to kiss him on the lips.  "I don't really have a choice, now do I?  Someone has to help you recover, and I doubt Bucky is going to volunteer to give you sponge baths for the next few weeks."

He reached up and cupped her face in his hand.  "Love you, YN."

"Call me Nina."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 26 of this story! I hope you enjoyed it!  So, this is the end of this part of the Saga! We all knew that Billy was going to bring nothing but heartache and pain. Were you surprised that his obsession with the Reader took a murderous turn? I hated to kill Trip since Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has already done it twice, but it was almost too unrealistic to think that no one would die at the hands of that madman. At least Peter was able to survive the attack and he and “Nina” are ready to move on with their lives. I’m both excited and sad to begin the last story in this Saga, but I hope that you’ll come back next week for the first part of Tony’s story - Aspen Ridge! I look forward to your comments!_
> 
> **Aspen Ridge - A Tony Stark x Reader story will begin next Sunday at 5am EST**
> 
> __

**Author's Note:**

> _Thank you for reading Part 1 of this story! We've finally made it to Peter's part of the Saga! I'm so excited, but also kind of sad that it's slowly coming to an end. We're over halfway through, but don't worry, there's still a lot of ground to cover before we say goodbye to the cowboys in Thousand Oaks! Did you enjoy the guys shopping for engagement rings? I love the camaraderie between all of the men in this story! Do you think that Kieran will accept Bucky's proposal and stay in Thousand Oaks with him? I know the summary for Tony's story mentions his daughter's wedding, but are you sure it's going to be Wanda's and not Nat's? I hinted around that Sam's wife was super curious about the relationships between Steve and Rowan, and Bucky and Kieran - what do you think about Sophie Devereaux turning their stories into novels?  Were you surprised that it was Nina at the door? I know some of you had voiced your suspicions that she would be Peter's love interest, so kudos to you for weeding through all of those red herrings! I look forward to your comments_


End file.
